svarabhakti

[ sfahr-ah-bahk-tee; Sanskrit svuh-ruh-buhk-ti ]
/ ˌsfɑr ɑˈbɑk ti; Sanskrit svə rəˈbʌk tɪ /

noun Linguistics.

the process of inserting vowel sounds into a consonant cluster, as in a loanword to make it conform to the pattern of the speaker's language and, hence, more easily pronounceable, as in the Italian pronunciation [lahn-tsee-ke-nek-kaw] /ˌlɑn tsi kɛˈnɛk kɔ/ for German Landsknecht [lahnts-knekht] /ˈlɑntsˌknɛxt/.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Compare epenthesis.

Origin of svarabhakti

1875–80; < Sanskrit: vowel segment (inserted in particular environments)

Words nearby svarabhakti

suárez, sv, sv 40, sv40, svalbard, svarabhakti, svc., svedberg, svedberg unit, svelte, svengali
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020