The loss of one of two identical or similar adjacent syllables in a word, as in Latin nūtrīx, "nurse," from earlier *nūtrītrīx.
[Greek haplous, single, simple; see haploid + -LOGY.]
haplology
Dictionary:
hap·lol·o·gy (hăp-lŏl'ə-jē)  |
| 5min Related Video: haplology |
| Wordsmith Words: haplology |
(hap-LOL-uh-jee)
noun
The loss of one of two identical or similar adjacent syllables in a word, as in Latin nutrix, `nurse,' from earlier nutritrix.
Etymology
Greek haplos, haplous, single, simple.
"There is also a consensus that arkuwar is the verbal noun to this stem, by haplology from expected arkuwawar." — H. Craig Melchert, Hittite arku-, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Jan 1, 1998.
| Obscure Words: haplology |
the contraction of a word by the omission of one or more similar sounds or syllables (as in mineralogy for mineralology or prob-ly for probably)
| Wikipedia: Haplology |
| Sound change and alternation |
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General
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Lenition (weakening)
Consonant gradation
Sonorization (voicing) Spirantization (assibilation) Rhotacism (change of [z] or [d] to [r]) L-vocalization (change of [l] to [w]) Debuccalization (loss of place) |
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Elision (loss)
Apheresis (initial)
Syncope (medial) Apocope (final) Haplology (similar syllables) Fusion Cluster reduction Compensatory lengthening |
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Epenthesis (addition)
Anaptyxis (vowel)
Excrescence (consonant) Prosthesis (initial) Paragoge (final) Unpacking Vowel breaking (diphthongization) |
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Coalescence
Coarticulation Palatalization (before front vowels) Velarization (before back vowels) Labialisation (before rounded vowels) Initial voicing (before a vowel) Final devoicing (before silence) Metaphony (vowel harmony, umlaut) Consonant harmony |
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Cheshirisation (trace remains)
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Sandhi (boundary change)
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Haplology is defined as the elimination of a syllable when two consecutive identical or similar syllables occur. The phenomenon was identified by American philologist Maurice Bloomfield in the 20th century.[1] Linguists sometimes jokingly refer to the phenomenon as "haplogy" (subjecting the word "haplology" to haplology).
- Conditions
- 1) Syllables are both medial; and
- 2) The structure of the two syllables is similar.
Example
- Basque: sagarrardo > sagardo 'apple cider'
- English:
- Latin: nutritrix > nutrix 'nurse'
See also
References
- Crowley, Terry. (1997) An Introduction to Historical Linguistics. 3rd edition. Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b c "Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 06, 2008". Merriam-Webster Online. http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Feb.06.2008. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
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| Dittography |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wordsmith Words. © 2009 Wordsmith.org. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Obscure Words. © 2008 by Michael A. Fischer http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Haplology". Read more |
