nasal
Meaning
Relating to the nose.
(of a speech sound) made by allowing the breath to pass out through the nose, for example /m/, /n/, or /ŋ/.
A nasal speech sound.
Structure
Usage
She spoke with a distinct nasal accent.
The doctor examined his nasal passages for any blockage.
The sounds 'm' and 'n' are both English nasal consonants.
Etymology
The word 'nasal' has a direct and clear lineage from the Latin nasus, meaning 'nose'. The suffix '-alis' was added in Medieval Latin to form the adjective nasalis, signifying 'of the nose'. This term was adopted into Middle English via Old French, retaining its anatomical reference. Over time, its application expanded specifically into phonetics to describe sounds produced by airflow through the nasal cavity, creating a logical semantic bridge from the physical organ to the acoustic function.
Analysis
'nas' originates from Latin nasus, meaning 'nose'. '-al' is a Latin-derived suffix used to form adjectives meaning 'of or pertaining to'.