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Glite Dictionary
🔤 Language difference 🎨 Degree of difference
contrastiveness

contrastiveness

8.1
A feature of sounds or words that makes different meanings clear
  • noun
  • /kənˈtræstɪvnəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : contrastividad
  • The contrastiveness of vowel sounds in English allows speakers to distinguish between words like 'ship' and 'sheep'.

Examples

  • In some languages, tone has a high degree of contrastiveness and can change the meaning of a word entirely.

  • Linguists study the contrastiveness of certain features to understand how languages encode meaning.

  • The contrastiveness in her paintings makes them stand out.

  • The contrastiveness of the two languages is fascinating.

  • The contrastiveness of vowel sounds in English allows speakers to distinguish between words like 'ship' and 'sheep'.

  • Linguists study the contrastiveness of certain features to understand how languages encode meaning.

  • In some languages, tone has a high degree of contrastiveness and can change the meaning of a word entirely.

Synonyms

contrast
vscontrastiveness
179 2.8

A clear difference between two or more things when compared

is used to show differences specifically to separate meanings in language
distinctness
vscontrastiveness
1 5.5

How clear and easy to recognize a shape or sound is

is about distinguishing meaning specifically rather than only clear form
discriminability
vscontrastiveness
8.8

The ability to notice differences between things

is about making differences clear so meanings can be told apart
markedness
vscontrastiveness
  • Specialized
9.2

A feature that makes one word form more unusual than the basic form

focuses on making differences clear to distinguish meaning

How Distinct

distinctness
1 5.6
contrastiveness
  • Specialized
8.1

Surface Forms

contrastiveness singular
contrastivenesses plural

Morphology

contrastiveness = contrastive (transparent) = contrast + ive + ness

Formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ness' to the clear adjective 'contrastive', so the meaning 'the quality of being contrastive' is directly derived.

Etymology

Contrastiveness comes from contrast, which comes from the old Latin contra meaning 'against'. The idea is things 'stand against' each other so you can tell them apart, so in language contrastiveness is the quality that makes different sounds, like the ones in 'ship' and 'sheep', change a word's meaning.