Definition of APHESIS

aphesis

Plural: apheses

Noun

  • The loss of an unstressed vowel at the beginning of a word.
  • the gradual disappearance of an initial (usually unstressed) vowel or syllable as in `squire' for `esquire'
  • The loss of the initial unstressed vowel of a word.

Examples

  • Knowing about aphesis helps you spot words like ’lone’ from ’alone’.
  • The word "scarp" is derived from "escarp" by aphesis.

Origin / Etymology

Attested since 1880. Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἄφεσις (áphesis, “letting go”), from ἀφίημι (aphíēmi), from ἀπό (apó, “off”) + ἵημι (híēmi, “send forth”).

Scrabble Score: 12

aphesis: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
aphesis: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
aphesis: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

aphesis: valid Words With Friends Word