Synaeresis
| Sound change and alternation |
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| Fortition |
| Dissimilation |
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Other types
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In linguistics, synaeresis or syneresis (see American and British spelling differences) is a sound change (metaplasm) by which two vowels are pronounced together rather than separately. The opposite is diaeresis.
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[edit] Etymology
Synaeresis comes from Greek συναίρεσις (synaíresis) "a taking" or "drawing together",[1] from συναιρέω (synairéō)[2] — σύν "with" and αἱρέω "grasp".
[edit] Examples
[edit] Ancient Greek
In Ancient Greek, synaeresis is the pronunciation of two separate vowels as a diphthong (αι /ai̯/), and diaeresis is the separation of a diphthong into two vowels (αϊ /a.i/).
Certain words in Proto-Indo-European had two vowels separated by the consonant s or y (esu "good"). In Greek, this consonant changed to h (ehu), and was lost between vowels (eu). In Homer, the two vowels were sometimes pronounced separately (diaeresis: ἐΰ) and sometimes together (synaeresis: εὖ). Later in Attic Greek, they were always pronounced together.
[edit] Modern Greek
In Modern Greek, where original diphthongs are pronounced as monophthongs, synaeresis is the pronunciation of two vowel sounds as a monophthong (αι /e/, and diaeresis is the pronunciation of the two vowels as a diphthong (αϊ /ai̯/).
[edit] English
Synaeresis often occurs with English reduced vowels, as in Asia (/ˈeɪzi.ə/ → /ˈeɪʒə/).
[edit] References
- ^ συναίρεσις. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at Perseus Project
- ^ συναιρέω
[edit] See also
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