iotacism

American

[ahy-oh-tuh-siz-uhm] / aɪˈoʊ təˌsɪz əm /

noun

the conversion of other vowel sounds, especially in Modern Greek, into (ē), the sound of iota.

iotacism British

/ aɪˈəʊtəˌsɪzəm /

noun

a tendency of vowels and diphthongs, esp in Modern Greek, to acquire the pronunciation of the vowel iota ( iː )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of iotacism

1650–60; < Late Latin iōtacismus < Greek iōtakismós. See iota, -ac, -ism

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023