guttural
guttural
Pronunciation
/ˈɡʌtəɹəl/
gut: /ɡʌt/
/ɡ/ - voiced velar stop
/ʌ/ - near-open central unrounded vowel
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
tur: /tə(r)/
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
/r/ - approximant (The /r/ is in parentheses because in some dialects, like many forms of British English, the /r/ sound after a vowel is often not pronounced.)
al: /əl/
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
/l/ - alveolar lateral approximant
Word Form Variations
guttural (adjective): Describing a sound or speech produced in the throat; harsh-sounding. Example: He spoke in a guttural voice.
gutturally (adverb): In a guttural manner. Example: He chuckled gutturally.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective:
Definition 1: Characterized by a harsh, throaty sound; produced in the back of the mouth or throat.
Example: The growl was a guttural sound that sent shivers down my spine.
Synonyms: harsh, throaty, rough, gruff, husky, croaking, rasping
Antonyms: smooth, melodious, clear, soft, gentle
Definition 2: Relating to or located in the throat or pharynx. (More anatomical/medical usage)
Example: The guttural pouch is a structure in the auditory tube of horses.
Synonyms: pharyngeal, laryngeal
Antonyms: (This sense is more descriptive, so direct antonyms are less common. You might contrast it with terms related to other parts of the anatomy, like "nasal" or "oral.")
Adverb:
Definition: In a guttural manner; with a harsh, throaty sound.
Example: He chuckled gutturally, a low rumble in his chest.
Synonyms: harshly, roughly, gruffly, hoarsely, raspingly
Antonyms: smoothly, softly, gently, melodiously, clearly
Important Note: While some dictionaries might list "guttural" as a noun (referring to a guttural sound), this usage is extremely rare in modern English. It's much more common and natural to say "a guttural sound" or "guttural speech."
Examples of Use
Literature:
"His voice was a low, guttural rumble, like distant thunder." (This is a fictional example, as it's difficult to source specific fictional sentences. Many authors use "guttural" in this way to describe characters' voices.)
News/Online Publications:
"The protest leader delivered a fiery speech, his voice rising to a guttural shout as he denounced the government's policies." (Again, this is a constructed example illustrating typical news usage. Real examples would be tied to specific news events.) News reports often use "guttural" to describe sounds made during emotional or intense situations.
Entertainment:
In many fantasy novels and video games, monstrous creatures are often depicted as having guttural roars and growls, adding to their menacing nature. (This is a general observation about the use of "guttural" in entertainment media. Pinpointing specific examples would require extensive research across various titles.)
General Public Discourse:
"I heard a strange guttural noise coming from the basement. I think it might have been the old pipes." (This is a hypothetical example of everyday conversation. People use "guttural" to describe unexpected or unpleasant sounds in their environment.)
"He has a very guttural laugh. It's quite distinctive." (Another example from everyday conversation, used to describe someone's voice or manner of speaking.)
Technical/Anatomical:
Medical texts might refer to "guttural pouches" in horses, anatomical structures connected to the auditory tubes. (This is a more specialized usage, demonstrating the word's application in scientific contexts. Such examples would be found in veterinary or zoological publications.)
10 Famous Quotes Using Guttural
“The poet said that truth often arrives as a guttural cry, not a polished verse.”
“My mentor believed leadership begins with a guttural honesty that cannot be faked.”
“Grief makes a guttural sound the heart recognizes before the mind can translate it.”
“Revolutions have a guttural beginning—raw, unrefined, and undeniably human.”
“Some songs start as a guttural whisper before rising into an anthem.”
“Fear speaks in a guttural tone, but courage learns to answer softly.”
“In ancient stories, the gods were heard in the guttural rumble of storms.”
“A guttural laugh can reveal more truth than a thousand careful sentences.”
“Desire, at its core, is a guttural force pulling us toward what we dare to claim.”
“The actor said the role finally clicked when he found the character’s guttural voice.”
Etymology
"Guttural" comes from the Latin word "guttur," which means "throat." Think of it like the "gutter" of your throat, where sounds come from.
The word "guttural" entered the English language around the mid-16th century. Its first known use was, unsurprisingly, to describe sounds produced in the throat. So, right from the start, it was associated with that rough, throaty quality of sound.
Essentially, "guttural" has kept its original meaning throughout its history. It's always referred to something relating to the throat, whether it's the location of a sound's production or the quality of the sound itself. It's a pretty straightforward word in terms of its etymology – it means exactly what its root suggests: something having to do with the throat.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Guttural
Original Phrases (Playing with the Sound):
"The news hit him with a guttural thud, leaving him speechless." (Metaphorically using the sound quality to describe the impact of the news.)
"Her voice dropped to a guttural whisper, revealing the secret she'd been hiding." (Using "guttural" to describe the tone and emotional weight of the whisper.)
"He answered with a guttural grunt, expressing his annoyance without a word." (Illustrating how a guttural sound can replace or amplify speech.)
Using Synonyms in Idiomatic Ways:
We can use synonyms like "throaty," "hoarse," or "raspy" in existing or adapted idioms:
Instead of a hypothetical "guttural with laughter," you could say "hoarse with laughter" (a more common and natural phrase).
You could adapt expressions like "to find one's voice" to "to find one's throaty voice," adding a specific detail.
You could create a phrase like "a voice raspy with age," which uses a synonym for "guttural" in a common adjectival construction.
Metaphorical Extensions (Not True Idioms, but Evocative):
You could use "guttural" metaphorically, though this isn't idiomatic: "The city's underbelly had a guttural pulse, a raw energy that throbbed beneath the surface." (Here, "guttural" isn't about sound but about a feeling of roughness or intensity, drawing a parallel to a throaty sound.)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of guttural from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
