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e·jec·tive

(ĭ-jĕktĭv)

adj.

1. Relating to or causing ejection.

2. Linguistics Articulated with a stream of air created by closing the glottis, making a constriction or closure in the oral cavity above the glottis, and raising the larynx to increase the air pressure within the cavity between the glottal closure and the oral constriction or closure. An ejective (t), for example, is made with a stream of air generated in this way, rather than with a stream of air from the lungs. Ejective consonants are found in many languages, including Amharic, Georgian, Lakota, and Quechua.

Linguistics An ejective consonant.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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