non-distinctiveadj.
/ˌnɒndᵻˈstɪŋ(k)tɪv/, U.S. /ˌnɑndəˈstɪŋ(k)tɪv/ Not distinctive; (Linguistics) designating a feature of a spoken language whose replacement affects meaning.
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the mind > language > linguistics > [adjective] > specific types or features of linguistic analysis
paradigmatic1891
realizational1904
non-distinctive1916
principled1919
binary1921
over-differentiated1927
marked1933
unmarked1933
isomorphic1937
nuclear1937
contrastive1940
metalinguistic1941
metalingual1942
componential1947
linear1955
rewrite1960
unordered1960
taxonomic1962
non-binary1971
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > [adjective] > phoneme, allophone, etc. > non-distinctive feature
non-distinctive1916
1916 D. Jones & S. T. Plaatje Sechuana Reader p. xiv The consonant sounds c, ɹ̄, ɥ, and the vowel sound ʉ are probably ‘non-distinctive’... By this we mean that the substitution of the sounds t, l, w, u respectively..would probably never change the meaning of any word.
1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. v. 77 A feature that is distinctive in one language, may be non-distinctive in another language.
1964 L. S. Hultzén in D. Abercrombie et al. Daniel Jones 92 There is of course a great deal of grammatically non-distinctive variation in utterance.
1992 Canad. Jrnl. Linguistics 37 24 Other factors such as non-distinctive sharping..possibly contribute to such confusions.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1916