rough breathing
noun
the symbol (ʿ) used in the writing of Greek to indicate aspiration of the initial vowel or of the ρ (rho) over which it is placed.
the aspirated sound indicated by this mark.
Compare
smooth breathing.
Origin of rough breathing
1740–50; translation of Latin
spiritus asper
Words nearby rough breathing
rouget de lisle,
rough,
rough and ready,
rough and tumble,
rough bluegrass,
rough breathing,
rough collie,
rough cut,
rough diamond,
rough endoplasmic reticulum,
rough fish
Example sentences from the Web for rough breathing
Greek accents are often unclear and (apart from rough-breathing marks) have been omitted.
A Vindication of the Presbyteriall-Government and Ministry |Ministers and Elders of the London Provinciall AssemblyAll other rough-breathing marks have been added by the transcriber.
An Essay on the Lyric Poetry of the Ancients |John Ogilvie
British Dictionary definitions for rough breathing
rough breathing
noun
(in Greek) the sign (῾) placed over an initial letter, or a second letter if the word begins with a diphthong, indicating that (in ancient Greek) it was pronounced with an h
Compare smooth breathing