"The Archangel Michael," icon by an anonymous artist of the Vladimir- Suzdal school, egg tempera on panel, c. 1300; in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
NOVOSTI PRESS AGENCY, MOSCOW
Vlaminck Wb-'maqkV Maurice de (b. April 4, 1876, Paris, France—d. Oct. 11, 1958, Rueil-la-Gadeliere) French painter. Noted for his brash temperament as well as his flair for landscapes, he began in 1900 to share a studio with Andre Derain, a friend from childhood. In 1905 he first exhibited at the Salon des Independants. His experiments with pure, intense colour applied in thick daubs earned him an association with Fau- VlSM, but by 1908 he had turned to painting landscapes of thickly applied whites, grays, and deep blues, and his style moved closer to that of Paul Cezanne. He began c. 1915 to develop a personal, strongly stated style that placed him solidly in the realm of French Expressionism.
Vlissingen \'vli-sh]-3\ Seaport city (pop., 2001 est.: 44,776), south¬ western Netherlands. As a medieval trading town, its importance lay in its position controlling the approach to Antwerp. In 1572 it was the first Netherlands town to rebel against Spanish rule. It was turned into a naval base by Napoleon during the French occupation (1795-1814). The city was heavily damaged during World War II, when the area was flooded in 1944 by the Allies to clear the way to Antwerp. Since rebuilt, it is now a commercial port, fishing harbour, seaside resort, and naval base.
Vltava Vvol-to-voV River German Moldau River, Czech Republic. The Czech Republic’s longest river, it flows 270 mi (435 km). The river rises in southwestern Bohemia from two headstreams in the Bohemian Forest. It flows first southeast, then north across Bohemia and empties into the Elbe River.
Vo Nguyen Giap Vvo-'qui-an-'zyap ,\ English Vvo-en-gi-'en-je-'apN (b. 1912, An Xa, Viet.) Vietnamese military leader. He began to work for Vietnamese autonomy as a youth and attended the same high school as Ho Chi Minh. As a professor of history in Hanoi, he converted many col¬ leagues and students to his political views. He fled to China in 1939 when the French banned the Indochinese Communist Party, but returned in 1941. In 1945 he led the Viet Minh forces that defeated the Japanese, who occupied Vietnam during World War II. He brought French colonial rule to an end by winning the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954) in the First Indochina War, and he led the North Vietnamese forces that defeated the U.S. and South Vietnam in the Vietnam War (1955-75). He served in vari¬ ous roles in the postwar government of Vietnam until the early 1990s.
vocal cord Either of two folds of mucous membrane that extend across the interior cavity of the larynx and are primarily responsible for voice production. Sound is produced by the vibration of the folds in response to the passage between them of air exhaled from the lungs. The pitch of sound varies with the degree of vocal-cord tension. Sounds are then modi¬ fied by the tongue, palate, and lips to produce speech. When at rest, the vocal cords lie apart, forming a V-shaped opening (glottis) through which air is breathed. The folds located just above the vocal cords are termed the vestibular or false vocal cords because they are not involved in voice production. Inflammation (as from excessive use) limits the normal con¬ traction of the vocal cords, resulting in hoarseness.
vodka Colourless distilled liquor of neutral spirits usually made from a grain mash (generally rye or wheat). Potato vodka originated in Russia in the 14th century. Today most vodka is distilled from cereal grains. It is highly neutral, most flavouring substances having been eliminated during distillation and filtration, the latter process employing charcoal purifiers. Distilled water is usually added before bottling in order to lower alcohol content to 40-43% by volume (80-86 proof). Vodka is not aged. It is tra¬ ditionally consumed unmixed and chilled, in small glasses; in the U.S. and elsewhere, it is often used in mixed drinks.
Vodou \vo-'dlin\ or voodoo National folk religion of Haiti. It com¬ bines theological and magical elements of African religions and ritual ele¬ ments of Roman Catholicism. Practitioners profess belief in a supreme God but give more attention to a large number of spirits called the loa, which can be identified as local or African gods, deified ancestors, or Catholic saints. The loa demand ritual service and attach themselves to individu¬ als or families. In turn, they act as helpers, protectors, and guides. In ritual services, a priest or priestess leads devotees in ceremonies involving song, drumming, dance, prayer, food preparation, and animal sacrifice. The loa possess worshipers during services, dispensing advice, performing cures, or displaying special physical feats. A well-known aspect of Vodou is the zombie. See also Macumba; Santeria.
voice In grammar, the form of a verb indicating the relation between the participants (subject, object) in a narrated event and the event itself. English grammar distinguishes between the active voice (“The hunter
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2014 I voice box ► Volcker
killed the bear”) and the passive voice (“The bear was killed by the hunter”). In the active voice, the emphasis is on the subject of the active verb (the agent performing the action named), whereas the passive voice indicates that the subject receives the action.
voice box See larynx
voice mail Electronic system for recording oral messages sent by tele¬ phone. Typically, the caller hears a prerecorded message and then has an opportunity to leave a message in return. The person called can then retrieve the message at a later time by entering specific codes on his or her telephone. Voice mail is distinguished from an answering machine by its ability to provide service to multiple phone lines and by the more sophisticated functions that it offers in addition to recording messages.
Voice of America Radio broadcasting network of the U.S. govern¬ ment. Its function is to promote understanding of the U.S. and spread democratic values. Its daily broadcasts include news reports, editorials, and discussions of U.S. political and cultural events. Its first broadcast, in German, took place in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda. By the end of World War II, it was broadcasting 3,200 programs in 40 languages every week. During the Cold War it focused its message at the commu¬ nist countries of eastern and central Europe. It became part of the U.S. Information Agency when that agency was formed in 1953.
voice recognition See speech recognition
voir dire \'vwar-'dir\ Anglo-French "to speak the truth" In law, the act or process of questioning prospective jurors to determine whether they are qualified and suitable for service on a jury. The questioning attor¬ neys may dismiss a juror for cause, such as when bias or preconceived notions of guilt or innocence are in evidence; they also have a limited number of peremptory challenges that they can use to dismiss a juror for any or no reason.
Vojvodina Vv6i-v6-,de-na\ Province (pop., 1999 est.: 1,954,432), within the republic of Serbia, Serbia and Montenegro. It covers 8,304 sq mi (21,506 sq km), and its chief city is Novi Sad. Slavs settled there in the 6th and 7th centuries, followed by Hungarian nomads in the 9th and 10th centuries. Ottoman Turks controlled the region from the early 16th to the late 18th century, when it became part of the Austrian Habsburg empire. By then it was a centre of Serbian Orthodox culture. In 1849 por¬ tions of the historic regions of Backa and Banat were united as the Vojvo¬ dina under Croatia-Slavonia. In 1867 it reverted to Hungary, and in 1918 it was made part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). In 1945 it became an autonomous province of the Serbian republic, but in 1989 Slobodan Milosevic rescinded this status. In 1999, after receiving tens of thousands of Serbian refugees from Kosovo, it demanded restoration of its autonomy. Although denied full autonomy, it was granted some powers in 2002 by the Serbian parliament.