aphesis

American  

[af-uh-sis] / ˈæf ə sɪs /

noun

Historical Linguistics.

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

---

aphesis British  

/ əˈfɛtɪk, ˈæfɪsɪs /

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

• aphetic
  adjective
• aphetically
  adverb

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

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

From The Romance of Names by Weekley, Ernest

Aphesis, af′es-is, n. the gradual loss of an unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word, as in squire = esquire—a special form of Aph�resis.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various