Synalepha: Difference between revisions
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A '''synalepha''' or '''synaloepha'''<ref>[[Greek language|Greek]] συν-αλοιφή (or {{LSJ|sunalifh/|συν-αλιφή}}), from {{LSJ|sunalei/fw|συναλείφω}}: συν- "together" and {{LSJ|a)lei/fw|ἀλείφω}} "I anoint", "smear". {{ablaut|οι|ει|ι|verb root|greek}}</ref> |
A '''synalepha''' or '''synaloepha''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|ˌ|s|ɪ|n|ə|ˈ|l|iː|f|ə}})<ref>[[Greek language|Greek]] συν-αλοιφή (or {{LSJ|sunalifh/|συν-αλιφή}}), 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. |
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The original meaning in Greek is more general than modern usage, and also 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> |
The original meaning in Greek is more general than modern usage, and also 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> |
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Revision as of 01:55, 7 November 2011
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A synalepha or synaloepha (/[invalid input: 'icon']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 Greek is more general than modern usage, and also 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 and Italian use synalepha very frequently in poetry. As for instance 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 when counting them because of the synalepha. The same thing happens with -ro and os-, so that the line has eleven syllables (syllable boundaries shown by a period):
- .Los.ca.be.llos.quea.lo.roos.cu.re.cí.an.
See also
- Metaplasm
- Elision — Contraction (grammar)
- Crasis
- Synizesis (merge into one syllable without change in writing)
- Synaeresis — opposite Diaeresis