paralanguage: Meaning and Definition of

par•a•lan•guage

Pronunciation: (par'u-lang"gwij), [key]
— n. Ling.
  1. vocal features that accompany speech and contribute to communication but are not generally considered to be part of the language system, as vocal quality, loudness, and tempo: sometimes also including facial expressions and gestures. Cf.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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