vocal

See also:vocâl

English

Etymology

LateMiddle Englishvocal,borrowed fromLatinvōcālis(“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”),fromvōx(“a voice, sound, tone”)+‎-ālis(“-al”,adjectival suffix).Doubletofvowelandvocalis.CompareOld Frenchvocal.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ˈvəʊ.kəl/

  • Audio(Received Pronunciation):

    (file)

• (General American)IPA^(key):/ˈvoʊ.kəl/
• Rhymes:-əʊkəl

Adjective

vocal(comparativemorevocal,superlativemostvocal)

1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling thehumanvoiceorspeech.

   vocalproblems

   1. (anatomy)Used in the production ofspeechsounds.

      vocalapparatus

   2. (music)Relating to,composedorarrangedfor, orsungby the humanvoice.
   3. (phonetics)Consisting of, or characterized by,voice,ortoneproduced in thelarynx,which may bemodified,either byresonance,as in the case of thevowels,or byobstructiveaction, as in certainconsonants,such asv,l,etc., or by both, as in thenasalsm,n,ng.

      Synonyms:sonant,intonated,voiced

   4. (phonetics)Synonym ofvocalic.
2. Utteredormodulatedby thevoice;expressedinwords.

   vocalmelody,vocalprayer,vocalworship

   Synonyms:oral,audible

   Antonyms:inaudible,quiet,silent,voiceless

   1. Expressingopinionsorfeelingsfreely,loudly,orinsistently.

      The protesters were veryvocalin their message to the mayor.

      Synonyms:outspoken,loud,audible

      Antonyms:inaudible,quiet,silent

   2. Having orexercisingthepowerof producingvoice,speech,orsound.

      Synonym:spoken

      • 1667,John Milton,Paradise Lost:

        To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade,
        Madevocalby my song.

      • 1850,[Alfred, Lord Tennyson],In Memoriam,London:Edward Moxon,[…],→OCLC,Canto XIX,page32:

        The tide flows down, the wave again
        ⁠Isvocalin its wooded walls:
        ⁠My deeper anguish also falls,
        And I can speak a little then.

   3. Synonym ofexpressive.
   4. Fullofvoices.

      Synonym:resounding

Derived terms

• audiovocal
• bivocal
• cricovocal
• monovocal
• nonvocal
• polyvocal
• semivocal
• subvocal
• unvocal
• vocal blackface
• vocal cord,vocal chord
• vocal fold
• vocal fremitus
• vocal fry
• vocalism
• vocalist
• vocality
• vocalize,vocalise
• vocally
• vocal minority
• vocal music
• vocalness
• vocal sac
• vocal tract
• vocal tube

Translations

of or pertaining to the voice or speech

• Albanian:vokal(sq)m
• Arabic:صَوْتِيّ(ṣawtiyy)
• Armenian:վոկալ(hy)(vokal)
• Azerbaijani:vokal
• Belarusian:вака́льны(vakálʹny),галасавы́(halasavý)
• Bengali:কণ্ঠ্য(bn)(konṭṭho)
• Bulgarian:вока́лен(vokálen),гласов(glasov)
• Catalan:vocal(ca)
• Czech:hlasový(cs),vokální(cs)
• Dutch:vocal(nl)m
• Esperanto:vokalo
• Finnish:laulu(fi)
• French:vocal(fr)
• Galician:vocal(gl)
• Georgian:ვოკალური(voḳaluri),სახმო(saxmo)
• German:stimmhaft(de),stimmlich
• Greek:φωνητικός(el)(fonitikós)

  Ancient:φθεγκτικός(phthenktikós)

• Hindi:स्वर(hi)(svar)
• Hungarian:vokál
• Indonesian:vokal(id),lisan(id)
• Irish:gutha
• Italian:vocale(it)
• Kannada:ಉಚ್ಚಾರದ(kn)(uccārada)
• Kazakh:вокалды(vokaldy),вокалдық(vokaldyq)
• Latvian:vokāls,balss(lv)f(genitive)
• Macedonian:гла́совен(glásoven)
• Malay:vokal
• Maltese:vokalim
• Norwegian:vokal(no)m
• Polish:głosowy(pl),wokalny(pl)
• Portuguese:vocal(pt),vocálico(pt)m
• Russian:вока́льный(ru)(vokálʹnyj),голосово́й(ru)(golosovój)
• Slovak:vokálny(sk)m,hlasový
• Slovene:vokal(sl)m
• Spanish:vocal(es)
• Swahili:mwimbaji(sw)
• Swedish:vokal(sv)
• Tagalog:ukol sa tinig,pantinig
• Turkish:vokal(tr)
• Turkmen:vokal
• Ukrainian:вока́льний(vokálʹnyj),голосови́й(holosovýj)
• Urdu:آواز دارf(āvāz dār)
• Uzbek:vokal(uz)
• Vietnamese:nói to tiếng

characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx

• Finnish:vokaali(fi)
• Georgian:ვოკალური(voḳaluri)
• Hungarian:magánhangzói(hu)
• Indonesian:vokal(id)
• Korean:보컬 부분(bokeol bubun)
• Macedonian:гла́сен(glásen)
• Norwegian:^{(pleaseverify)}vokalef
• Portuguese:vocálico(pt)
• Russian:гла́сный(ru)(glásnyj)
• Slovak:^{(pleaseverify)}hlasovýf
• Slovene:^{(pleaseverify)}vokalnen
• Swedish:vokal(sv)
• Vietnamese:nói lớn tiếng

vocalic—seevocalic

uttered or modulated by the voice

• Albanian:vokal(sq)m
• Bengali:গেয়(bn)(geẏo)
• Bulgarian:вокален(vokalen)
• Catalan:vocal(ca)
• Dutch:stem(nl)f
• Finnish:laulu(fi)
• Galician:vocal(gl)
• Georgian:ვოკალური(voḳaluri)
• German:mündlich(de)
• Japanese:Hữu ngôn の(yūgen no)
• Kannada:ಧ್ವನಿ(kn)(dhvani)
• Macedonian:во́кален(vókalen)
• Portuguese:vocal(pt)
• Russian:вока́льный(ru)(vokálʹnyj)
• Spanish:vocal(es)
• Swedish:vokal(sv)
• Tagalog:maabla
• Welsh:llafar(cy)

expressing opinions or feelings freely

• Finnish:äänekäs(fi)
• Georgian:ხმამაღალი(xmamaɣali),ხმაურიანი(xmauriani),ხმიანი(xmiani),მყვირალა(mq̇virala)
• German:lautstark(de),laut(de)
• Hebrew:קוֹלָנִי(he)m(qolaní)
• Japanese:Hữu ngôn の(yūgen no),Vật ngôn う(ja)(monoiu)
• Macedonian:гла́сен(glásen),зву́чен(zvúčen)
• Russian:гро́мкий(ru)(grómkij),зву́чный(ru)(zvúčnyj),шу́мный(ru)(šúmnyj)(noisy),крикли́вый(ru)(kriklívyj)(clamorous)
• Vietnamese:nói lớn tiếng

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch:^{(pleaseverify)}stem-
• Esperanto:^{(pleaseverify)}voĉa
• French:^{(pleaseverify)}vocal(fr)
• Interlingua:^{(pleaseverify)}vocal
• Italian:^{(pleaseverify)}vocale(it)f
• Japanese:^{(pleaseverify)}ヴォーカル(vōkaru),^{(pleaseverify)}ボーカル(ja)(bōkaru)

Noun

vocal(pluralvocals)

1. (phonetics)Avocalsound;specifically, a purely vocalelementofspeech,unmodifiedexcept byresonance;avowelor adiphthong;atonicelement; a tonic.

   Coordinate terms:subvocal,nonvocal

2. (music)A part of a piece ofmusicthat issung.

   Synonym:song

   Hyponyms:backup vocals,lead vocals

   • 1975,Billboard,volume87,number24,page50:

     Best cuts: "The Evil Dude," "Kung Fu, Too!" "Mama Love," "New Orleans" (with a punchyvocalby Teresa Brewer).

   1. (acting)Amusicalperformanceinvolvingsinging.
3. (Catholicism)Amanin theRoman Catholic Churchwho has arighttovotein certainelections.

Derived terms

• off vocal
• vocalic
• vocalese

Related terms

• vocable
• vocabulary
• vocalist
• vocalization
• vocalize
• vocation
• voice

See also

• voice
• vowel

References

• “vocal”,inLexico,Dictionary.com;Oxford University Press,2019–2022.
• “vocal”,inMerriam-Webster Online Dictionary,Springfield, Mass.:Merriam-Webster,1996–present.

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed fromLatinvōcālis.

Noun

vocalf(pluralvocales)

1. (grammar)Avowel.

Related terms

• voz

Catalan

Etymology

BorrowedfromLatinvōcālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):(Central)[buˈkal]
• IPA^(key):(Balearic,Valencia)[voˈkal]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones:bocal,bucal(Central)
• Rhymes:-al

Adjective

vocalmorf(masculine and feminine pluralvocals)

1. vocal

Derived terms

• corda vocal
• vocalista
• vocalitzar
• vocalment

Related terms

• veu

Noun

vocalf(pluralvocals)

1. vowel

Derived terms

• vocàlic

Further reading

• “vocal”inDiccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició,Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “vocal”,inGran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana,Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana,2024
• “vocal”inDiccionari normatiu valencià,Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “vocal”inDiccionari català-valencià-balear,Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology 1

InheritedfromOld Frenchvocal,borrowed fromLatinvōcālis.Doubletofvoyelle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/vɔ.kal/
• Homophones:vocale,vocales

Adjective

vocal(femininevocale,masculine pluralvocaux,feminine pluralvocales)

1. vocal,related to thevoice

Derived terms

• corde vocale
• langue vocale
• messagerie vocale
• reconnaissance vocale
• vocable
• vocalement
• vocalique
• vocalisation
• vocalise
• vocaliser
• vocalisme
• voice
• voix
• voyelle

Descendants

• →Turkish:vokal

Further reading

• “vocal”,inTrésor de la langue française informatisé[Digitized Treasury of the French Language],2012.

Etymology 2

Ellipsisofmessage vocal.CompareItalianvocale.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/vɔ.kal/

Noun

vocalm(pluralvocaux)

1. (slang)voice message
   • T’inquiètes, je t’envoies unvocalpour t’expliquer.

     Don't worry, I'm gonna send you a voice message to explain it to you.

Further reading

• "vocal",Dictionnaire des francophones[1]

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed fromLatinvōcālis.

Adjective

vocalm(oblique and nominative feminine singularvocale)

1. vocal(relating to a voice or voices)

Descendants

• French:vocal
• →Middle English:vocal
  • English:vocal

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowingfromLatinvōcālis.Doubletofvogal.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil)IPA^(key):/voˈkaw/[voˈkaʊ̯]

• (Portugal)IPA^(key):/vuˈkal/[vuˈkaɫ]

• (Portugal)IPA^(key):/vuˈkal/[vuˈkaɫ]
  • (Northern Portugal)IPA^(key):/buˈkal/[buˈkaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal)IPA^(key):/vuˈka.li/

• Homophones:bocal(Porto),bucal(Porto)
• Rhymes:(Portugal)-al,(Brazil)-aw
• Hyphenation:vo‧cal

Adjective

vocalmorf(pluralvocais)

1. vocal(of or relating to the voice or speech)
2. vocal(uttered or modulated by the voice)

Derived terms

• vocalmente

Noun

vocalmorfby sense(pluralvocais)

1. vocalist(singer in a band)

   Synonym:vocalista

Related terms

• vogal
• voz

Romanian

Etymology

BorrowedfromFrenchvocal,fromLatinvocalis.

Adjective

vocalmorn(feminine singularvocală,masculine pluralvocali,feminine and neuter pluralvocale)

1. vocal

Declension

Declension ofvocal

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	vocal		vocală	vocali	vocale
	definite	vocalul		vocala	vocalii	vocalele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	vocal		vocale	vocali	vocale
	definite	vocalului		vocalei	vocalilor	vocalelor

Spanish

Etymology

BorrowedfromLatinvōcālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/boˈkal/[boˈkal]

• Audio(Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-al
• Syllabification:vo‧cal

Noun

vocalf(pluralvocales)

1. vowel

Noun

vocalmorfby sense(pluralvocales)

1. voter,memberwithvoterights

Descendants

• →Cebuano:bokal

Adjective

vocalmorf(masculine and feminine pluralvocales)

1. by means of thevoice
2. related to the voice
3. using the voice

Derived terms

• cuerdas vocales
• vocalmente

Related terms

• voz

Further reading

• “vocal”,inDiccionario de la lengua española,Vigésima tercera edición,Real Academia Española,2014

Anagrams

• clavo