microsegmentn.
/ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)sɛɡm(ə)nt/, U.S. /ˈmaɪkroʊˌsɛɡmənt/ Phonetics.
A unit of sound enclosed between two open junctures.
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the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > intonation, pitch, or stress > [noun] > intonation > pattern or sequence of > macrosegment or microsegment
macrosegment1947
microsegment1947
1947 C. F. Hockett in Language 23 277 The segment flanked by junctures of a given degree of openness and containing no juncture equally open we may call respectively, a microsegment, mesosegment, macrosegment, and utterance.
1958 C. F. Hockett Course in Mod. Linguistics vi. 60 Apart from stresses, a microsegment consists of segmental phonemes—that is, vowels and consonants.
1963 Amer. Speech 38 55 Miss Sivertsen describes the phonological system within which she operates; phonemes are described in a framework of macro- and microsegments which, in turn, are divided into syllables.
1971 Language 47 739 Each section of the description is..worked out in detail..; the main headings are phonemes, syllables, micro-segments, meso-segments, macro-segments, and mega-segments.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1947