metaphony

noun

me·​taph·​o·​ny mə-ˈta-fə-nē How to pronounce metaphony (audio)
plural metaphonies
: the change of a vowel sound brought about by assimilation to a preceding or following vowel

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French métaphonie, from méta- meta- + -phonie -phony

Note: The term was apparently introduced in Grammaire comparée des langues indo-européennes (Paris, 1866-74), a translation by the French linguist Michel Bréal of Franz Bopp's Vergleichende Grammatik des Sanskrit, Send, Armenischen, Griechischen, Lateinischen, Litauischen, Altslavischen, Gothischen und Deutschen, 2. Ausgabe, 1857-61. In tome 5, the index volume, compiled by Francis Meunier, a footnote is appended to the word apophonie, Bréal's translation of German Ablaut ablaut: "Il vaudrait peut-être mieux employer le terme de métaphonie" ("It would perhaps be better to use the term metaphony [i.e., in place of apophony]").

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metaphony was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near metaphony

Cite this Entry

“Metaphony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphony. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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