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plan·gent

(plănjənt)

adj.

1. Loud and resounding: plangent bells.

2. Expressing or suggesting sadness; plaintive: "From a doorway came the plangent sounds of a guitar" (Malcolm Lowry).

[Latin plangēns, plangent-, present participle of plangere, to strike, lament; see plāk-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

plangen·cy n.

plangent·ly adv.

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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