ambisyllabic
|am-bi-syl-lab-ic|
C2
/ˌæmbɪsɪˈlæbɪk/
pertaining to both syllables
Etymology
Etymology Information
'ambisyllabic' originates from Latin, specifically the prefix 'ambi-' meaning 'both' and 'syllabic' from 'syllaba' meaning 'syllable'.
Historical Evolution
'ambisyllabic' was formed by combining the Latin prefix 'ambi-' with the English word 'syllabic'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'pertaining to both syllables', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having a syllable that can be divided between two syllables, often used in phonetics to describe a consonant that belongs to both the preceding and following syllables.
In the word 'happy', the 'p' is ambisyllabic.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/07/10 06:06