antepretonic
|an-te-pre-ton-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.priːˈtɑːn.ɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.priːˈtɒn.ɪk/
two syllables before the stress
Etymology
'antepretonic' originates from Latin prefix 'ante' meaning 'before' combined with 'pretonic' (itself from Latin 'prae-' 'before' + Greek 'tonikos' meaning 'relating to tone').
'antepretonic' was formed in English by prefixing 'ante-' to the existing term 'pretonic'; 'pretonic' derives from Latin 'prae' + Greek 'tonikos' and entered linguistic usage to mean 'before the tonic (stress)'.
Initially formed simply to indicate a position 'before the pretonic'; it has remained a technical term referring specifically to the syllable two places before the stressed syllable.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the syllable that occurs two positions before the stressed syllable (the antepretonic syllable).
In some analyses, the antepretonic is crucial for understanding vowel reduction patterns.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to the syllable that is two positions before the stressed (tonic) syllable; i.e., the syllable immediately before the pretonic syllable.
Antepretonic vowels are often reduced in fast speech.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 23:26