> as lemmas
precontour
precontour n. 
/(ˌ)priːˈkɒntɔː/,
Brit. /(ˌ)priːˈkɒntʊə/
, /(ˌ)priːˈkɒntʊə//(ˌ)priːˈkɒntɔː/U.S. /ˌpriˈkɑnˌtʊ(ə)r/
Phonetics an unstressed syllable which precedes the peak of a contour./ˌpriˈkɑnˌtʊ(ə)r/ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > intonation, pitch, or stress > [noun] > accent > stress accent > stress group > syllables with respect to
subtonic1827
pretone1884
pretonic1892
head1922
nucleus1922
tail1922
peak1935
post-nuclear1944
precontour1945
nuclear1949
tonic1962
1945 K. L. Pike Intonation Amer. Eng. iii. 29 Immediately preceding the stressed syllable of a primary contour there oftentimes will be one or more syllables which are pronounced in the same burst of speed with that primary contour but which themselves are unstressed. These syllables may be called precontours, and depend for their pronunciation upon the syllables which follow them.
1962 B. M. H. Strang Mod. Eng. Struct. 53 A contour may be preceded by one or more unstressed syllables forming a pre-contour; special meanings may be conveyed by varying the level of the pre-contour.
1989 Jrnl. Arabic Ling. 20 35 This primary contour occurs..in pause group non-final and final positions. It occurs with and without precontours.
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as lemmas
- to let down milk
- to let down, drop, take up a stitch
- to let drive
- to let dwell
- to let etc fall as they etc
- to let etc fall as they may
- to let etc fall as they will
- to let fall
- to let fare
- to let fly
- to let fly a fart
- to let for farm
- to let forth
- to let free
- to let gird
- to let go
- to let go a fart
- to let go of
- to let have it
- to let have it hot
- to let in
- to let in farm
- to let in farmage
- to let in feu-farm
- to make it worse