word of the day - epenthesis
Aug. 16th, 2001 05:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scottobearepenthesis (uh-PEN-thu-sis) noun
Insertion of an extra sound into a word, e.g. fillum for film.
[From Late Latin, from Greek epentithenai, to insert : ep-, epi-, (in addition) + en- (in) thesis (to place), stem of tithenia (to put).]
Exhibit 1: the regrettably ubiquitous 'ath-a-lete.' Exhibit 2: 'height-th.' Another instance of it is el-lum for elm.
Insertion of an extra sound into a word, e.g. fillum for film.
[From Late Latin, from Greek epentithenai, to insert : ep-, epi-, (in addition) + en- (in) thesis (to place), stem of tithenia (to put).]
Exhibit 1: the regrettably ubiquitous 'ath-a-lete.' Exhibit 2: 'height-th.' Another instance of it is el-lum for elm.
