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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of rough breathing

1740–50; translation of Latin spiritus asper

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rough breathing

Various other particulars interesting to those who study the Greek text in the original, as those relating to the accents, the smooth and rough breathing, and the iota subscript, are here omitted.

From Companion to the Bible by E. P. (Elijah Porter) Barrows

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 James Strong

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

From The Divine Fire by May Sinclair

The one exception is the rough breathing before Ἀνδρασι in footnote 17, which should be a smooth breathing.

From The Life and Writings of Henry Fuseli, Volume I (of 3) by John Knowles

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 Frances Ellen Lord