Also 7 euphonie. [a. F. euphonie, ad. Gr. εὔφωνία, f. εὔφωνος well-sounding, f. εὐ- (see EU-) + φωνή voice, sound.] a. The quality of having a pleasant sound; the pleasing effect of sounds free from harshness: chiefly with reference to combinations of words in sentences, or of phonetic elements in spoken words. b. In recent philological use often: The tendency to greater ease of pronunciation, as shown in those combinatory phonetic changes formerly ascribed to an endeavor after a pleasing acoustic effect.
1623. Cockeram, Euphonie, accent in words.
1680. Dalgarno, Didascalocophus, 114 (T.). Had the Grecians been as careless of Euphony and polishing their words in the terminations, as they have been in the initial Syllables.
1727. Art of Speaking in Publick (ed. 2), 99. ’Tis the same in speaking, as in Musick; Words for the Euphony of the one, and Notes for the Harmony of the other.
1773. W. Kenrick, Rhet. Gram., i. § 4. 13 (Jod.). The Euphony of speech frequently interferes with the rules, founded solely on its significancy.
1821. Eustace, Tour Italy (ed. 6), III. 18. Epopeus, now for euphony softened into Epomeo.
1865. Tylor, Early Hist. Man., iv. 71. Their voices lose all cheerfulness and euphony.
1874. Helps, Soc. Press., xii. 161. Euphony then is the mother of many lies.
1885. Perry, Sanskr. Primer, § 38. The rules of Sanskrit euphony affecting this sound.
