Definition

Relating to or situated in the middle of something.

Example

The medial position of the letter 'a' in the word 'banana' is between the first and last letters.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of the term medial in linguistics?

Yeah, it refers to sounds that are in the middle of words, right?

Exactly! I find it interesting how it relates to pronunciation.

Me too, it makes you think about how we use language daily.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

A term used in linguistics to refer to a sound, letter, or form of a letter that appears in the middle of a word, rather than at the beginning or end.

Example

In the word 'medial', the letter 'd' is a medial consonant.

Conversation

I was studying some phonetics and came across the term medial.

Oh really? What does that mean?

It refers to sounds that are in the middle of words, not at the beginning or end.

Root Explanation

Medial → It is formed from "medius" (meaning middle) in Latin and the suffix "-al" (meaning pertaining to). The word "medial" refers to something that is related to or situated in the middle.

Memory Tip

Think of 'middle' ('medius') to remember that 'medial' means pertaining to the middle.

Visually Confused Words