Vowelised

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. The process of articulating sounds in spoken language that includes letters representing the vocalic elements 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', and 'u'
2. The method of modifying text to incorporate vowel sounds which aids in the accurate pronunciation of words
3. Applying vowel signs to written script to denote specific vowel sounds that clarify pronunciation

Etymology: "Vowelised" is the British spelling of "vowelized," the past tense and past participle of the verb "vowelise," meaning to mark a written text with vowel signs. The verb is built from "vowel," which entered English from Old French "vouel," itself from Latin "vocalis" (meaning "vocal" or "sounding"), and the suffix "-ise," which turns the noun into a verb meaning to provide or treat with the thing named. So a "vowelised" text is one that has been given its vowels. The idea behind the word matters more than its parts. Languages such as Hebrew and Arabic were traditionally written with only consonants, and readers supplied the vowels from memory. Scholars later added vowel signs, often as dots or small marks around the consonants, so that the pronunciation was fixed on the page. Writing that has been treated this way is what the word describes.

Synonyms: vowelled, vocalized, vowelled

Antonyms: unvowelled, consonantal