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Posted By: jheem epenthesis, -etic - 01/23/04 06:40 PM
The recent thread on schwa got me to thinking about epenthesis 'the insertion of a sound or letter into the body of a word' (M-W) or 'the insertion of a sound in the middle of a word, as in Middle English thunder from Old English thunor' (A-H). If the insertion takes place at the beginning of the word, as especial and estate, it's called prothesis. If it's a vowel rather than a consonant that's being epenthetically inserted, it can be called anaptyxis.

Posted By: Faldage Re: anaptyxis - 01/23/04 06:53 PM
Athaletes and realitors everywhere thank you for that, Nuncle J.

BTW, do you know any MnE words that have undergone anaptyxis?

Posted By: jheem Re: anaptyxis - 01/23/04 07:03 PM
By MnE, do you mean Modern English (Present Day English)? Other than the two examples you gave?

Posted By: Faldage Re: anaptyxis - 01/23/04 07:14 PM
I mean Modern English and words that are considered "correct" by the purest purist.

Posted By: jheem Re: anaptyxis - 01/23/04 07:21 PM
Well, spelling plays all kinds of tricks, e.g., the 't' in often has often caused an epenthetic dental stop and the 'd' in admiral doesn't really belong there (it's based on an erroneous etymological spelling assuming a word borrowed from Latin rather than Arabic).

Posted By: Faldage Re: anaptyxis - 01/23/04 07:42 PM
I'm looking for some where a vowel has been added.

Posted By: jheem Re: anaptyxis - 01/23/04 09:25 PM
Nope, you've got me. English phonotactics doesn't seem to have too much of a problem with consonant clusters.

Posted By: MilNEMGaL Re: anaptyxis - 11/16/05 09:50 PM
Will someone please use the word in a sentence for me? Also as an adjective? Thanks......I don't mean to be mis-chiev-e-ous :-)
Posted By: tsuwm Re: anaptyxis - 11/17/05 01:25 AM
>Will someone please use the word in a sentence for me? Also as an adjective?

did I just walk in on the Scripps National Spelling Bee??
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: anaptyxis - 11/17/05 02:53 AM
> use in a sentence

umm, we can't find many words that are anaptyxitic?
Posted By: Faldage Re: anaptyxis - 11/17/05 11:40 AM
Quote:

> use in a sentence

umm, we can't find many words that are anaptyxitic?




That's because anaptyxis is relatively rare in english, athalete and realitor being the onliest examples I can think of just right off hand.
Posted By: zmjezhd Re: anaptyxis - 11/17/05 01:44 PM
Noun: anaptyxis; adjective: anaptyctic. How about the anaptyctic u in some pronuciations of nuclear?
Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: mischievous - 11/18/05 04:38 PM
Quote:

...I don't mean to be mis-chiev-e-ous :-)




Fine example rat cheer!
Posted By: HFlower Re: anaptyxis - 07/15/06 07:53 PM
Anaptyctic schwas manifest themselves from time to time in Hiberno-English. Perhaps the best example is the pronunciation of "film" as the 1.5 syllable "fillum".
Posted By: TEd Remington Re: anaptyxis - 07/16/06 09:41 PM
Right heyer in Marion I can find lots of examples. Y'all know that when you are exiting your car you put it in payark. I cayunt begin to cayount the words I heyer lahk thayut.
Posted By: Zed Re: anaptyxis - 07/18/06 06:27 PM
And there is a subset on US'ns who manage to make two or more syllables out of four letter words. e.g Kevin Kline in "A Fish Called Wanda" Certainly adds emphasis.
Posted By: doc_comfort Re: anaptyxis - 12/07/06 12:29 AM
And the winner is Syd-e-ney
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