assibilated
|as-si-bil-a-ted|
/əˈsɪbɪleɪtɪd/
(assibilate)
make sibilant
Etymology
'assibilate' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'assibilare' (formed from prefix 'ad-' + 'sibilare'), where 'ad-' meant 'to/toward' and 'sibilare' meant 'to whistle, hiss'.
'assibilare' (Late Latin/medieval Latin) was used to mean 'to hiss' or 'to make sibilant'; the term entered technical phonetic use in English as 'assibilate', giving rise to adjectival/past forms such as 'assibilated'.
Initially it meant 'to hiss or make a hissing sound'; over time it specialized in phonetics to mean 'to cause a consonant to become sibilant', which is the current usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'assibilate'.
Over generations, the consonant assibilated in that regional accent.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
having undergone assibilation; made sibilant (i.e., changed so a consonant is pronounced as an s-like or sh-like sound).
The assibilated consonant sounded closer to /s/ than to the original stop.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/03 03:18