| diphthong |
| Definition - A sound formed by contracting two vowel sounds into one syllable. |
|
Example - coin, boil, and about. |
|
Etymology - The word ultimately derives from the Greek diphthongos, double sound (from di, double + phthongos, sound or voice). |
|
Oxford English Dictionary - Its first citation is from 1483: "A Diptonge [MS. A. Dypton], diptongus." ( Cath. Angl. 100/2) |