Editing Consonant (section)

==Etymology==
The word ''consonant'' comes from [[Latin]] oblique stem {{lang|la|cōnsonant-}}, from {{lang|la|cōnsonāns}} 'sounding-together', a [[calque]] of [[Ancient Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|σύμφωνον}} {{lang|grc-Latn|sýmphōnon}} (plural {{lang|grc-Latn|sýmphōna}}, {{lang|grc|σύμφωνα}}).<ref>{{LSJ|su/mfwnos|σύμφωνος|ref}}</ref><ref>Robert K. Barnhart, ''ed.'', ''Chambers Dictionary of Etymology'', Previously published as ''The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology'', originally ©1988 The H.W. Wilson Company; Edinburgh, reprinted 2001: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd., p. 210.</ref>

[[Dionysius Thrax]], a Classical Greek grammarian, called consonants {{lang|grc-Latn|sýmphōna}} ({{lang|grc|σύμφωνα}} 'sounded with') because in Greek, they can only be pronounced with a vowel.{{efn|[[Dionysius Thrax]]:
:{{lang|grc|σύμφωνα δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ ἑπτακαίδεκα· β γ δ ζ θ κ λ μ ν ξ π ρ σ τ φ χ ψ. σύμφωνα δὲ +λέγονται+, ὅτι αὐτὰ μὲν καθ᾽ ἑαυτὰ φωνὴν οὐκ ἔχει, συντασσόμενα δὲ μετὰ τῶν φωνηέντων φωνὴν ἀποτελεῖ.}}
:The remaining seventeen are consonants: b, g, d, z, th, k, l, m, n, x, p, r, s, t, ph, ch, ps. They are called 'sounded with' because they do not have a sound on their own, but, when arranged with vowels, they produce a sound.<ref name="Thrax">[[Dionysius Thrax]]. τέχνη γραμματική (Art of Grammar), [http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~harsch/graeca/Chronologia/S_ante02/DionysiosThrax/dio_tech.html#06 ς´ περὶ στοιχείου (6. On the Sound)]</ref>}} He divides them into two subcategories: {{lang|grc-Latn|hēmíphōna}} ({{lang|grc|ἡμίφωνα}} 'half-sounded'),<ref>{{LSJ|h(mi/fwnos|ἡμίφωνος|shortref}}</ref> which are the [[continuant]]s,{{efn|Dionysius Thrax:
:{{lang|grc|τούτων ἡμίφωνα μέν ἐστιν ὀκτώ· ζ ξ ψ λ μ ν ρ σ. ἡμίφωνα δὲ λέγεται, ὅτι παρ᾽ ὅσον ἧττον τῶν φωνηέντων εὔφωνα καθέστηκεν ἔν τε τοῖς μυγμοῖς καὶ σιγμοῖς.}}
:Of these, eight are half-sounded: z, x, ps, l, m, n, r, s. They are called 'half-sounded' because, though a little weaker than the vowels, they are still harmonious [well-sounding] in their moaning and hissing.<ref name="Thrax"/>}} and {{lang|grc-Latn|áphōna}} ({{lang|grc|ἄφωνος}} 'unsounded'),<ref>{{LSJ|a)/fwnos|ἄφωνος|shortref}}</ref> which correspond to [[plosive consonant|plosives]].{{efn|Dionysius Thrax:
:{{lang|grc|ἄφωνα δέ ἐστιν ἐννέα· β γ δ κ π τ θ φ χ. ἄφωνα δὲ λέγεται, ὅτι μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων ἐστὶν κακόφωνα, ὥσπερ ἄφωνον λέγομεν τὸν τραγωιδὸν τὸν κακόφωνον.}}
:Nine are unsounded: b, g, d, k, p, t, th, ph, ch. They are called 'unsounded' because, more than the others, they are discordant [ill-sounding], just as we call the ill-sounding tragedist 'unsounded'.<ref name="Thrax"/>}}

This description does not apply to some languages, such as the [[Salishan languages]], in which plosives may occur without vowels (see [[Nuxalk language|Nuxalk]]), and the modern concept of "consonant" does not require co-occurrence with a vowel.