Bivocal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A descriptor for sound phenomena involving two unique vocal aspects
2. Characterized by possessing two separate vocal qualities or tones simultaneously
3. Describes sound that includes a pair of different voice sounds or pitches

Etymology: "Bivocal" is a plain compound: the Latin prefix "bi-", meaning "two", joined to "vocal". The adjective "vocal" reaches English through Middle English from the Latin "vōcālis", "relating to the voice", itself built from "vōx", "voice", a word that goes back to the same ancient root that gave English "voice" its shape. Put together, "bivocal" literally describes something that has two voices. The word works just as its parts suggest. Where "vocal" describes anything related to the voice or to speech, "bivocal" narrows that to a sound made of two distinct voice sounds or pitches. Its neatness is typical of English coinages built from Latin pieces, which can be assembled on the spot to name a precise idea.