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metathesis
Oct. 29th, 2012 07:22 ammetathesis (muh-TATH-uh-sis) - n., a transposition, esp. (linguistics) the transposition of two sounds or syllables within a word; (chem.) the interchange of elements or radicals between two compounds.
Metathesis can be strictly in pronunciation, as in saying nyucular for nuclear, or part of a word's evolution, as clasp from Middle English clapse, bird from Old English brid, or Spanish milagro from Latin miraculum. Spoonerisms, the exchange of the initial letters of syllables or words, is another form of metathesis. Borrowed around 1600 from Late Latin, where it meant specifically the transposition of letters of a word, from Greek metáthesis, where it meant any kind of transposition (which, note, is the Latin equivalent), from metatithenai, I put in a different order. Or a direffent order, perhasp.
---L.
Metathesis can be strictly in pronunciation, as in saying nyucular for nuclear, or part of a word's evolution, as clasp from Middle English clapse, bird from Old English brid, or Spanish milagro from Latin miraculum. Spoonerisms, the exchange of the initial letters of syllables or words, is another form of metathesis. Borrowed around 1600 from Late Latin, where it meant specifically the transposition of letters of a word, from Greek metáthesis, where it meant any kind of transposition (which, note, is the Latin equivalent), from metatithenai, I put in a different order. Or a direffent order, perhasp.
---L.
