sonant

[soh-nuh nt] /ˈsoʊ nənt/
adjective
1.
sounding; having sound.
2.
Phonetics. voiced (opposed to surd).
noun, Phonetics
3.
a speech sound that by itself makes a syllable or subordinates to itself the other sounds in the syllable; a syllabic sound (opposed to consonant).
4.
a voiced sound (opposed to surd).
5.
(in Indo-European) a sonorant.
Origin
1840-50; < Latin sonānt- (stem of sonāns), present participle of sonāre to sound1. See son-, -ant
Related forms
sonantal
[soh-nan-tl] /soʊˈnæn tl/ (Show IPA), sonantic
[soh-nan-tik] /soʊˈnæn tɪk/ (Show IPA), adjective
intersonant, adjective
nonsonant, adjective, noun
unsonant, adjective
unsonantal, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for sonant

sonant

/ˈsəʊnənt/
adjective
1.
(phonetics) denoting a voiced sound capable of forming a syllable or syllable nucleus
2.
inherently possessing, exhibiting, or producing a sound
noun
3.
(phonetics) a voiced sound belonging to the class of frictionless continuants or nasals (l, r, m, n, ŋ) considered from the point of view of being a vowel and, in this capacity, able to form a syllable or syllable nucleus
Derived Forms
sonance, noun
sonantal (səʊˈnæntəl), sonantic, adjective
Word Origin
C19: from Latin sonāns sounding, from sonāre to make a noise, resound
Word Origin and History for sonant
adj.

1846, from Latin sonantem (nominative sonans), present participle of sonare "make a noise," (see sonata). As a noun from 1849.