rough breathing

American  

noun

1. 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.

2. the aspirated sound indicated by this mark.

---

rough breathing British  

noun

1. (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

---

Etymology

Origin of rough breathing

1740–50; translation of Latin spiritus asper

Example Sentences

"The child of 'Ellas and of Ollywell Street'—innocent of—er—the rough breathing," suggested Maddox.

From The Divine Fire by Sinclair, May

It is a rough breathing, like the "huff" of an angry cat, and a serious dispute between the birds reminds one of nothing but a disagreement in the feline family.

From In Nesting Time by Miller, Olive Thorne

One rough breathing is just visible in that early palimpsest of St. John's Gospel, Ib or Nb.

From A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. I. by Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose

Initial ρ and υ always take the rough breathing; and double ρ in the middle of a word takes the smooth breathing on the first, and the rough on the second.

From Greek in a Nutshell by Strong, James

The grammarians never regarded it as a consonant,—at least in more than name,—but merely as representing the rough breathing of the Greeks.

From The Roman Pronunciation of Latin Why we use it and how to use it by Lord, Frances Ellen