aferesis
|a-fer-e-sis|
/əˈfɛrəsɪs/
removal of initial sound
Etymology
'aferesis' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'aferesis', where it ultimately comes from Greek 'aphaíresis' (ἀφαίρεσις), with 'a-' meaning 'away' (or privative) and 'phairein' meaning 'to take'.
'aferesis' changed from the Greek word 'aphaíresis' into Medieval Latin 'aferesis' and eventually entered modern English as 'aferesis'.
Initially it meant 'a taking away' in a general sense, but over time it became specialized to mean the removal (omission) of an initial sound or syllable in a word.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the omission or loss of one or more sounds or syllables at the beginning of a word (a linguistic/phonological phenomenon and rhetorical device).
Aferesis is common in colloquial speech, as in 'cause' for 'because'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/04 16:28