| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024aunt /ænt, ɑnt/USA pronunciation n. [countable]- the sister of one's father or mother.
- the wife of one's uncle.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024aunt (ant, änt),USA pronunciation n. - the sister of one's father or mother.
- the wife of one's uncle.
- Dialect Terms[Chiefly New England and South Midland U.S.](used as a term of respectful address to an older woman who is not related to the speaker).
- Slang Termsan aging male homosexual.
- Latin amita father's sister, old feminine past participle of amāre to love, i.e., beloved
- Anglo-French, for Old French ante
- 1250–1300; Middle English aunte
The usual vowel of aunt in the United States is the (a)USA pronunciation of rant except in New England and eastern Virginia, where it is commonly the "New England broad a, '' a vowel similar to French (a)USA pronunciation and having a quality between the (a)USA pronunciation of hat and the (ä)USA pronunciation of car. The vowel (ä)USA pronunciation itself is also used. In New England and eastern Virginia (ä)USA pronunciation or the (a)USA pronunciation -like sound occur in aunt in the speech of all social groups, even where a "broad a '' is not used in words like dance and laugh. Elsewhere, the "broader'' a is chiefly an educated pronunciation, fostered by the schools with only partial success ("Your relative isn't an insect, is she?''), and is sometimes regarded as an affectation. Aunt with the vowel of paint is chiefly South Midland United States and is limited to folk speech.The (a)USA pronunciation pronunciation of aunt was brought to America before British English developed the (ä)USA pronunciation in such words as aunt, dance, and laugh. In American English, (ä)USA pronunciation is most common in the areas that maintained the closest cultural ties with England after the (ä)USA pronunciation pronunciation developed there in these words. |