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APHESIS - 2 reference results
Aphesis
In phonetics, aphaeresis (from Greek apo away, hairein to take), also known as aphesis (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 /ˈæfɨsɪs/.)

The loss of any sound

  • English [k]nife pronounced /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")

See also

References

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

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aphesis
Jan 01, 1997; aphesis x2C8;afɪsɪs]. The loss of an initial unstressed vowel: e.g. squire is an aphetic form of esquire , from Old...
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APHESIS
Jan 01, 1998; APHESIS [Stress: ‘AH-fe-sis’]. The loss of an unstressed vowel at the beginning of a WORD, as in prentice from...
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