aphaeretical
|a-pha-ret-i-cal|
🇺🇸
/ˌæfəˈrɛtɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæfəˈrɛtɪk(ə)l/
removal of initial sound
Etymology
'aphaeretical' originates from Greek/Latin (via New Latin), specifically from Greek 'aphaíresis' (ἀφαίρεσις), where the prefix 'a-' (ἀ-) meant 'away/from' and 'phaírein' (φαίρειν) meant 'to take'.
'aphaeretical' changed from the Greek word 'aphaíresis' into Late Latin/New Latin 'aphaeresis' and entered English terminology as the noun 'aphaeresis', later forming the adjective 'aphaeretic' and the fuller adjective 'aphaeretical' in modern English.
Initially, it meant 'a taking away; removal' in Greek and Latin contexts; over time the term developed a specialized linguistic sense meaning 'the omission of an initial sound or syllable', which is its primary modern meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or characterized by aphaeresis — the omission or loss of an initial sound or syllable in a word.
The poet used aphaeretical forms to fit the meter, omitting initial vowels in several lines.
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Adjective 2
of or resulting from the process of removing an initial phoneme or syllable (i.e., formed by aphaeresis).
The form 'lone' is aphaeretical relative to 'alone'.
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Last updated: 2025/12/03 19:56