Aphesis

Aphesis

In phonetics, aphaeresis (pron-en|əˈfɪərɨsɪs, from Greek "apo" away, "hairein" to take), also known as aphesis (pron-en|ˈæfɨsɪs, from Greek "apo" away, "hienai" to send), is the loss of one or more sounds from the beginning of a word; especially, the loss of an unstressed vowel.

Aphaeresis or aphesis as a historical sound change

In historical phonetics, the term "aphaeresis" is often but not always limited to the loss of an unstressed vowel. (The Oxford English Dictionary gives this particular kind of aphaeresis the name aphesis IPA|/ˈæfɨsɪs/.)

The loss of any sound

*English " [k] nife" pronounced IPA|/ˈnaɪf/
*Swedish " [st] rand" > Finnish "ranta" "beach"

The loss of an unstressed vowel

*Greek "episkopos" > Vulgar Latin " [e] biscopu" > English "bishop"
*English " [a] cute" > "cute"
*English " [E] gyptian" > "Gyptian" > "Gypsy"
*English " [a] mend" > "mend"
*English " [e] scape" + "goat" > "scapegoat"
*Old French "evaniss-" > English "vanish"
*English "esquire" > "squire"

Aphaeresis as a poetic device

*English "it is" > poetic "'tis"

Aphaeresis in informal speech

*Spanish "está" > Rioplatense Spanish " [e] tá" > "ta" ("is")

ee also

* Syncope
* Apocope
* Elision
* List of phonetics topics

References

*Crowley, Terry. (1997) "An Introduction to Historical Linguistics." 3rd edition. Oxford University Press.


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  • Aphesis — Aph e*sis, n. [Gr. ? a letting go; ? + ? to let go.] The loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word; the result of a phonetic process; as, squire for esquire. New Eng. Dict. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Aphĕsis — (gr.), 1) Nachlassen von Krankheiten; 2) lähmungsartiger Zustand …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • aphesis — [af′ə sis] n. [ModL < Gr, a letting go < apo from + hienai, to send: see JET1] loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word, a form of apheresis (Ex.: squire for esquire) aphetic [ə fet′ik] adj. aphetically adv …   English World dictionary

  • aphesis — /af euh sis/, n. Historical Ling. the disappearance or loss of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable, as in the formation of the word slant from aslant. [1880; < Gk áphesis a letting go, equiv. to aphe (var. s. of aphiénai to let go, set free;… …   Universalium

  • aphesis — noun /ˈæfəsɪs/ The loss of the initial unstressed vowel of a word. The word leet is derived from elite by aphesis. Ant: prothesis See Also: aphetic …   Wiktionary

  • aphesis — aph•e•sis [[t]ˈæf ə sɪs[/t]] n. ling. the gradual disappearance or loss of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable • Etymology: 1880; < Gk áphesis release =aph(i)é(nai) to let go, set free (ap II+hiénai to send) + sis sis a•phet•ic əˈfɛt ɪk… …   From formal English to slang

  • aphesis — noun (plural apheses) Etymology: New Latin, from Greek, release, from aphienai to let go, from apo + hienai to send more at jet Date: 1880 aphaeresis consisting of the loss of a short unaccented vowel (as in lone for alone) • aphetic adjective •… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • aphesis — [ afɪsɪs] noun Linguistics the gradual loss of an unstressed vowel at the beginning of a word (e.g. of e from esquire to form squire). Derivatives aphetic ə fɛtɪk adjective aphetically adverb Origin C19: from Gk, lit. letting go , from apo from + …   English new terms dictionary

  • aphesis — aph·e·sis …   English syllables

  • aphesis — /ˈæfəsəs/ (say afuhsuhs), /əˈfisəs/ (say uh feesuhs) noun (in historical linguistic process) the gradual disappearance of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable, as in mend from amend. {Greek: a letting go} …  

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