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aphesis

Pronunciation: /ˈafɪsɪs/
Definition of aphesis

noun

[mass 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

Pronunciation: /əˈfɛtɪk/
adjective

aphetically

Pronunciation: /əˈfɛtɪk(ə)li/
adverb

Origin:

late 19th century: from Greek, literally 'letting go', from apo 'from' + hienai 'let go, send'

aphesis in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of aphesis in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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