Yodle

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To sing with rapid and repeated changes in pitch between the chest voice and head voice; to produce a form of vocalization often associated with Alpine music; to vary a singing style by alternating between vocal registers
2. To perform a musical vocalization characterized by quick shifts through vocal registers; to express a traditional singing technique in folk music; to alter pitch swiftly while singing in a distinctive manner
3. To vocalize using a technique involving sudden pitch breaks between chest and head tones; to entertain by employing a style common in mountainous folk traditions; to manipulate vocal cords to produce a fluctuating melodic sound

Etymology: "Yodle" is an archaic spelling of "yodel," the verb for singing that rapidly switches between the chest voice and a high falsetto. The English word was borrowed from German "jodeln," and the spelling "yodle" reflects an older English habit of writing the word with an "le" ending, a pattern shared by words such as "waddle" and "tootle." Modern dictionaries have settled on "yodel" as the standard form. The German verb is closely tied to the vocal technique it names. Its sound comes from the singer moving quickly between the chest register and the head register, producing a series of pitch breaks that carry across alpine valleys. The English noun and verb are used the same way as the German, so the borrowing kept both the sound and the sense intact.

Synonyms: yodel, sing, call, chant, vocalize

Antonyms: whisper, mumble, quiet, silence, hush