different between liaison vs ligature

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French liaison (“binding”), from Latin lig?ti? (stem ligation-) (English ligation), derived from lig? (“I bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *ley?- (“to bind”). Doublet of ligation.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -e?z?n
• (UK) IPA^(key): /li?e?.z??/, /li?e?.z?n/, /li?e?.z(?)n/, (nonstandard) /la??e?.z?n/, /la??e?.z?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /li.?e?.z?n/, /li.?e?.s?n/, (nonstandard) /?la?.?.s?n/

Noun

liaison (countable and uncountable, plural liaisons)

1. Communication between two parties or groups.
2. Co-operation, working together.
3. A relayer of information between two forces in an army or during war.
4. A tryst, romantic meeting.
5. (figuratively) An illicit sexual relationship or affair.
6. (linguistics) The phonological fusion of two consecutive words and the manner in which this occurs, for example intrusion, consonant-vowel linking, etc. In the context of some languages, such as French, liaison can refer specifically to a normally silent final consonant, being pronounced when the next word begins with a vowel, and can often also include the intrusion of a "t" in certain fixed chunks of language such as the question form "pense-t-il".

   Hypernym: sandhi

Related terms

• liaise
• ligation

Translations

Verb

liaison (third-person singular simple present liaisons, present participle liaisoning, simple past and past participle liaisoned)

1. (proscribed) To liaise.

Anagrams

• isolani

French

Etymology

From Old French, from Late Latin lig?ti?, lig?ti?nem, derived from Latin lig? (“bind”), or formed from lier +? -aison based on the Latin word. Compare also Old Occitan liazó, liazon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lj?.z??/

Noun

liaison f (plural liaisons)

1. link, bond
2. friendship
3. liaison (romantic encounter)
4. liaison (communication)
5. (linguistics) liaison (phonological phenomenon)
6. (chemistry) bond

Related terms

• lier

Further reading

• “liaison” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Middle English ligature, from Middle French ligature, from Late Latin lig?tura, from Latin lig?tus, past participle of lig?re (“to tie, bind”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?l???t??/

Noun

ligature (countable and uncountable, plural ligatures)

1. (uncountable) The act of tying or binding something.
2. (countable) A cord or similar thing used to tie something; especially the thread used in surgery to close a vessel or duct.
   • 2018: "She stalked the Golden State Killer until she died. Some think her work led to the suspect’s arrest." by Eli Rosenberg

     He hid shoelaces or rope under cushions to use as ligatures.

3. A thread or wire used to remove tumours, etc.
4. The state of being bound or stiffened; stiffness.

   the ligature of a joint

5. (countable, typography) A character that visually combines multiple letters, such as æ, œ, ß or ?; also logotype. Sometimes called a typographic ligature.
6. (countable, music) A group of notes played as a phrase, or the curved line that indicates such a phrase.
7. (music) A curve or line connecting notes; a slur.
8. (countable) A piece used to hold a reed to the mouthpiece on woodwind instruments.
9. Impotence caused by magic or charms.

Derived terms

• ligature point

Related terms

• liaison
• ligate
• ligation

Translations

Verb

ligature (third-person singular simple present ligatures, present participle ligaturing, simple past and past participle ligatured)

1. (surgery) To ligate; to tie.

French

Etymology

From Middle French ligature, from Late Latin lig?tura, from Latin lig?tus, past participle of lig? (“tie, bind”). Compare the popular Old French liüre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li.?a.ty?/

Noun

ligature f (plural ligatures)

1. a tie; the action of tying
2. a binding, notably in horticulture
3. ligature; a character that combines multiple letters; logotype.

Derived terms

• ligaturer

Related terms

• lier

Further reading

• “ligature” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• lugerait
• régulait

Latin

Participle

lig?t?re

1. vocative masculine singular of lig?t?rus

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ligature, itself borrowed from Late Latin lig?t?ra. Doublet of lyoure.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li??a?tiu?r(?)/

Noun

ligature (plural ligatures)

1. bandage, dressing
2. (rare) ligament

Descendants

• English: ligature

References

• “lig?t?re, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.