different between backness vs blackness

English

Etymology

back +? -ness

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bæk.n?s/

Noun

backness (uncountable)

1. (phonetics) Quality of being a back vowel.

   Antonym: frontness

   Andrew Spencer (1996), Phonology: theory and description, p. 25 :

   The most important aspects of vowel quality are tongue height, frontness/backness and lip rounding.

2. (phonetics) A quality of vowels, indicating the horizontal position of the tongue relative to the back of the mouth (front, near-front, central, near-back, or back).

   Synonym: frontness

   Coordinate terms: (vertical dimension) height, (lip articulation) roundedness, length, nasalization, reduction

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?blækn?s/

Etymology

From Middle English blaknesse, equivalent to black +? -ness.

Noun

blackness (usually uncountable, plural blacknesses)

1. The state or quality of being black.

   The blackness of outer space comes from the lack of anything to reflect light rather than the absence of light.

2. The state of being of African descent.
   • 2018, David Betancourt, ‘Black Panther’ fully embraces its blackness -- and that's what makes it unforgettable, The Washington Post:

     “Black Panther” is a stunning visual and cultural achievement that takes superhero cinema where it’s never gone before by not being afraid to embrace its blackness.

Antonyms

• whiteness

Translations