prepretonic
|pre-pre-ton-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌpriː.priːˈtɑnɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌpriː.priːˈtɒnɪk/
two syllables before stress
Etymology
'prepretonic' originates from Modern English formation using the prefix 'pre-' (meaning 'before') attached twice to 'tonic' (from Greek), literally 'before-before-tonic'.
'prepretonic' is a compound created by analogy with 'pretonic' (meaning 'before the tonic syllable'), where 'pretonic' itself comes from prefix 'pre-' + 'tonic'. The element 'tonic' traces back to Greek 'tonikos' from 'tonos' meaning 'tone' or 'stretching'.
Initially, related forms like 'pretonic' meant 'before the tonic (stressed) syllable'; 'prepretonic' extended that idea to indicate a position two syllables before the stress.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
occurring two syllables before the tonic (stressed) syllable of a word; describing a syllable that is two positions before the stressed syllable.
In the word 'unbelievable' (un-be-LIEv-able), the syllable 'un' is prepretonic.
Last updated: 2026/01/08 07:22