Aphesis


the disappearance or loss of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable, as in the formation of the word slant from aslant.
Historical Examples

aphesis is the loss of the unaccented first syllable, as in ‘baccy and ‘later.
The Romance of Names Ernest Weekley

This English tendency to aphesis is satirised in a French song of the 14th century, intentionally written in bad French.
The Romance of Words (4th ed.) Ernest Weekley

But confusion with the article is not necessary in order to bring about aphesis.
The Romance of Words (4th ed.) Ernest Weekley

noun
the gradual disappearance of an unstressed vowel at the beginning of a word, as in squire from esquire

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    pertaining to or due to . Historical Examples The tender of a ship or of a locomotive is the attender, and taint is aphetic for attaint, Fr. The Romance of Words (4th ed.) Ernest Weekley For limner we find in the 15th century lumner and luminour, which is aphetic for alluminour, or enlumineur. The Romance […]

  • Aphet.

    aphet. aphetic aphetized

  • Aphid

    any of numerous tiny soft-bodied insects of the family Aphididae of worldwide distribution, that suck the sap from the stems and leaves of various plants, some developing wings when overcrowding occurs: an important pest of many fruit trees and vegetable crops. Historical Examples I once observed a young spider approaching an aphid, which was facing […]

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    the larva of a lacewing, usually predaceous on aphids.

  • Aphis

    an aphid, especially of the genus Aphis. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Historical Examples The house must be fumigated, and the trees syringed on the least appearance of aphis. The Book of Pears and Plums Edward Bartrum The grain aphis, in certain years, desolates our wheat fields. Our Common Insects Alpheus Spring Packard Never […]


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