Semi-vowel

半元音

A term used in the classification of consonant sounds on the basis of their manner of articulation: it refers to a sound functioning as a consonant but lacking the phonetic characteristics normally associated with consonants (such as friction or closure); instead, its quality is phonetically that of a vowel; though, occurring as it does at the margins of a syllable, its duration is much less than that typical of vowels. Some phoneticians refer to these sounds as a type of approximant.

按发音方式给辅音分类的术语，指这样一类音：功能上类似辅音但又缺乏通常与辅音相联系的语音特点（如摩擦或闭塞），而语音学上讲其音质为元音音质，但由于实际出现在音节的界音位置，其音延要比典型的元音短得多。有的语音学家视这类音为无摩擦音的一类。