nonsour

Nonsour is a term used in linguistics to describe a type of word or phrase that does not undergo regular sound changes that are typical for a particular language or language family. These linguistic anomalies often arise due to borrowing from another language, deliberate linguistic innovation, or as a result of irregular historical sound shifts.

For example, in English, many words exhibit predictable vowel shifts. However, words borrowed from Latin or Greek might retain their original pronunciation and spelling patterns, thus appearing as "nonsour" relative to the native English sound system. Similarly, words that have undergone a sound change in the past but have since been re-borrowed or re-analyzed might also be considered nonsour.

The concept of nonsour is not a formal linguistic classification but rather an informal descriptor used to highlight exceptions to established phonological rules. Understanding nonsour phenomena is crucial for historical linguists attempting to reconstruct proto-languages and trace the evolution of language families, as these exceptions often provide clues about language contact and historical events. They represent points where linguistic change either did not reach or was interrupted by external influences.