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yodel

yodel or yodle (both: yōˈdəl) [key], type of wordless singing, joyous in nature, usually associated with the Swiss. It is, in fact, practiced throughout the Alps and, as an importation, in the mountains of Kentucky. It is characterized by sudden shifts from the natural singing voice to falsetto.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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