aphesis

[ af-uh-sis ]
/ ˈæf ə sɪs /

noun Historical Linguistics.

the disappearance or loss of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable, as in the formation of the word slant from aslant.

Origin of aphesis

1880; < Greek áphesis a letting go, equivalent to aphe- (variant stem of aphiénai to let go, set free; ap- ap-2 + hiénai to send) + -sis -sis

Words nearby aphesis

aphelion, apheliotropic, apheliotropism, aphemia, apheresis, aphesis, aphetic, aphid, aphid lion, aphis, aphonia

Example sentences from the Web for aphesis

  • But confusion with the article is not necessary in order to bring about aphesis.

    The Romance of Words (4th ed.) |Ernest Weekley

  • This English tendency to aphesis is satirised in a French song of the 14th century, intentionally written in bad French.

    The Romance of Words (4th ed.) |Ernest Weekley

  • Aphesis is the loss of the unaccented first syllable, as in 'baccy and 'later.

    The Romance of Names |Ernest Weekley

British Dictionary definitions for aphesis

aphesis
/ (ˈæfɪsɪs) /

noun

the gradual disappearance of an unstressed vowel at the beginning of a word, as in squire from esquire

Derived forms of aphesis

aphetic (əˈfɛtɪk), adjective aphetically, adverb

Word Origin for aphesis

C19: from Greek, from aphienai to set free, send away