epenthesis means the insertion of a phoneme, letter, or syllable into a word, usually to satisfy the phonological constraints of a language or poetic context. It carries an Arena rating of 1425, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, epenthesis ranks #2,478 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #4,149 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #4,604 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #4,901 of 17,151 for The Improbable.
epenthesis is pronounced /ɪˈpɛn.θə.sɪs/.
Why “epenthesis” is a great word
The insertion of a phoneme, letter, or syllable into a word, typically to ease articulation. From Late Latin, from Ancient Greek ἐπένθεσις (epénthesis), from ἐπεντίθημι (epentíthēmi, “to insert”), from ἐπί (epí, “upon, in addition”) + ἐντίθημι (entíthēmi, “to put in”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”); first attested in English in the mid-16th century. Unlike elision, which strips away a sound for speed, or excrescence, its more intrusive consonantal cousin, epenthesis is an act of vocal generosity—the gentle “b” that visits “thimble,” the phantom vowel that makes “film” a two-syllable sigh, the poet’s extra syllable to make a meter breathe. It is language’s quiet proof that the tongue, like water, will find its own level, filling whatever hollows impede its flow.
Etymology
Middle of 16th century: via Late Latin, from Ancient Greek ἐπένθεσις (epénthesis), from ἐπεντίθημι (epentíthēmi, “to insert”), from ἐπί (epí) + ἐντίθημι (entíthēmi, “to put in”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”).
noun
- The insertion of a phoneme, letter, or syllable into a word, usually to satisfy the phonological constraints of a language or poetic context.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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