quality (n.)

A term used in AUDITORY PHONETICS and PHONOLOGY to refer to the characteristic resonance, or TIMBRE, of a sound, which is the result of the range of FREQUENCIES constituting the sound’s identity. Variations in both VOWELS and CONSONANTS are describable in terms of quality, e.g. the distinction between [i], [e], etc., would be called a qualitative difference. In this sense, the term ‘quality’ is generally opposed to QUANTITY or LENGTH. Voices are also described as having a characteristic ‘quality’.

A term identifying one of the MAXIMS of CONVERSATION: the maxim of quality states that a person’s contribution to a conversation should ideally be true – for example, people should not say what they believe to be false.