Yodeled

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To produce a distinctive vocal performance by rapidly shifting between high and low notes
2. To execute a singing technique that alternates quickly between contrasting pitch levels
3. To sing by quickly jumping between different pitch registers, creating a vocal effect typical of Alpine folk music

Etymology: "Yodeled" is the American spelling of the past tense of "yodel," the verb for singing by rapidly switching between a chest voice and a falsetto. The verb came into English from German "jodeln," which describes the same kind of singing, a technique long associated with the Alpine regions of Austria, Switzerland and southern Germany. The German word is itself a sound-imitation, built on the vocal syllables that singers use while moving between registers. The English spelling "yodel" follows the same pattern as the German original, with the "j" sound rendered as "y," and "yodeled" simply adds the regular past-tense ending. Because the word describes a vocal technique rather than a thing, its history is mostly a story of a sound being named by the culture that practised it.

Synonyms: called, sang