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Glossolalia

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The use of invented, glossolalic, or speaking-in-tongues language in experimental poetry; it prioritizes sonic texture over semantic meaning, creating a trance-like, ecstatic, or linguistically liberating effect that resists conventional interpretation.

Detailed Definition
Glossolalia in poetry denotes the use of invented, ecstatic, or nonsensical language that mimics speaking in tongues—prioritizing sound, rhythm, and emotional charge over denotative meaning; it appears in modernist and surrealist verse (e.g., Hugo Ball) to access pre-linguistic or spiritual states.
Example
Example in poetry:
Glossolalia: In modernist poetry like that of Hugo Ball’s Dada sound poems (“gadji beri bimba”), glossolalia—speaking in invented tongues—evokes primal or spiritual utterance.
Additional Notes
Glossolalia: “Speaking in tongues”—ecstatic, unintelligible utterance; in poetry, may inspire sound poetry, neologisms, or Dadaist experiments (e.g., Hugo Ball’s “Karawane”).
Also Known As
Speaking in tongues Ecstatic speech Divine utterance Sacred babble Tongues
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