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A synalepha or synaloepha /ˌsɪnəˈliːfə/^[1] is the merging of two syllables into one, especially when it causes two words to be pronounced as one.

The original meaning in Ancient Greek is more general than modern usage and includes coalescence of vowels within a word. Similarly, synalepha most often refers to elision (as in English contraction), but it can also refer to coalescence by other metaplasms: synizesis, synaeresis or crasis.^[2]

Examples

Spanish, Portuguese and Italian use synalepha, which is important in counting syllables in poetry. An example is in this hendecasyllable (11-syllable line) by Garcilaso de la Vega:

Los cabellos que al oro oscurecían.

The hair that endarkened the gold.

The words que and al form one syllable in counting them because of synalepha. The same thing happens with -ro and os- and so the line has eleven syllables (syllable boundaries are shown by a dot):

Los·ca·be·llos·queal·o·roos·cu·re·cí·an.

Notes

^ Greek συναλοιφή (or συναλιφή), from συναλείφω: συν- "together" and ἀλείφω "I anoint", "smear". Alternation between οι, ει, and ι in verb root is ablaut.
^ W. Sidney Allen, Vox Graeca, chart of "Types of vowel-junction", p. 98.

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[1] Greek συναλοιφή (or συναλιφή), from συναλείφω: συν- "together" and ἀλείφω "I anoint", "smear". Alternation between οι, ει, and ι in verb root is ablaut.

[2] W. Sidney Allen, Vox Graeca, chart of "Types of vowel-junction", p. 98.

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[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Merging of two syllables into one}}
-{{unreferenced|date=April 2008}}
+{{Sound change}}
+A '''synalepha''' or '''synaloepha''' {{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|ɪ|n|ə|ˈ|l|iː|f|ə}}<ref>[[Greek language|Greek]] συναλοιφή (or {{LSJ|sunalifh/|συναλιφή}}), from {{LSJ|sunalei/fw|συναλείφω}}: συν- "together" and {{LSJ|a)lei/fw|ἀλείφω}} "I anoint", "smear". {{ablaut|οι|ει|ι|verb root|greek}}</ref> is the [[coalescence (linguistics)|merging]] of two syllables into one, especially when it causes two words to be pronounced as one.
+The original meaning in [[Ancient Greek]] is more general than modern usage and includes coalescence of vowels within a word. Similarly, synalepha most often refers to [[elision]] (as in English [[contraction (grammar)|contraction]]), but it can also refer to coalescence by other [[metaplasm]]s: [[synizesis]], [[synaeresis]] or [[crasis]].<ref>[[W. Sidney Allen]], ''Vox Graeca'', chart of "Types of vowel-junction", p. 98.</ref>
-A '''synalepha''' ({{IPA|/ˌsɪnəˈlifə/}}, from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''synaleifein'' “to smear together”, also '''synaloepha''') is the [[elision]] of two syllables into one.
-'''Examples''':
+==Examples==
+{{Original research|date=January 2022|section}}
+Spanish, Portuguese and Italian use synalepha, which is important in counting syllables in poetry. An example is in this [[hendecasyllable]] (11-syllable line) by [[Garcilaso de la Vega (poet)|Garcilaso de la Vega]]:
+: ''Los cabellos qu'''e a'''l or'''o o'''scurecían.''
-* "Apollo's priest to '''th'Ar'''give fleet doth bring" (from [[Homer]])
+:: The hair that endarkened the gold.
+The words ''que'' and ''al'' form one syllable in counting them because of synalepha. The same thing happens with ''-ro'' and ''os-'' and so the line has eleven syllables (syllable boundaries are shown by a [[interpunct#In written language|dot]]):
-Spanish and Italian use the synalepha very frequently. For instance, in a [[hendecasyllable]] by [[Garcilaso de la Vega]]:
+: ''Los·ca·be·llos·qu'''eal'''·o·r'''oo'''s·cu·re·cí·an.''
-<blockquote>''Los cabellos qu'''e a'''l or'''o e'''scurecían''. <br>(''The hair that from gold grew darker'')</blockquote>
-''que'' and ''al'' form one syllable when counting them because of the synalepha. The same thing happens with ''-ro'' and ''es-'', thus allowing the correct number of syllables for a hendecasyllable, eleven and rendering it pronounced as follows:
-<blockquote>''Los cabellos qu'''ea'''l or'''oe'''scurecían''.</blockquote>
 == See also ==
+* [[Metaplasm]]
+** [[Elision]]—[[Contraction (grammar)]]
+*** [[Apheresis (linguistics)|Apheresis]] (initial)
+*** [[Syncope (phonetics)|Syncope]] (medial)
+*** [[Apocope]] (final)
+** [[Crasis]]
+** [[Synizesis]] (merge into one syllable without change in writing)
+** [[Synaeresis]]—opposite [[Diaeresis (prosody)|Diaeresis]]
+* [[Correption]]
+==Notes==
-* [[Contraction (grammar)]]
+<references />
-* [[Crasis]]
-* [[Elision]]
-* [[Syncope]]
-* [[Synaeresis]]
 [[Category:Figures of speech]]
+[[Category:Phonology]]
-{{ling-stub}}
+{{phonology-stub}}
-[[br:Sinalefa]]
-[[ca:Sinalefa]]
-[[de:Synaloiphe]]
-[[es:Sinalefa]]
-[[eo:Sinalefo]]
-[[fr:Synalèphe]]
-[[it:Sinalefe]]
-[[no:Synaløyfe]]