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quaver

Verb
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

To speak or sing with a trembling voice, often from fear or emotion; in poetry, it adds a layer of vulnerability, emphasizing the fragility of the speaker.

Detailed Definition
Quaver can mean to tremble in the voice or to shake with nervousness. Here it suggests a physical and emotional trembling in response to the battlefield scene.
Example
Example in poetry:
“What quaver—what heart aghast?” uses quaver for a trembling sound or voice; “A quaver entered his song when he named the dead” links vocal shaking to emotion; “The violin’s quaver thinned into the cold air” gives the word a musical sense; “Her laugh held a quaver of fear beneath its brightness” makes the tremor subtle and psychological
Additional Notes
“Quaver” in “What quaver—what heart aghast?” is a less common literary verb that may not be instantly familiar.; Found in the poem, Break of Day in the Trenches by Isaac Rosenberg
Also Known As
tremble quiver shake flutter
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