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metathesis

[ muh-tath-uh-sis ]

noun

, plural me·tath·e·ses [m, uh, -, tath, -, uh, -seez].
  1. the transposition of letters, syllables, or sounds in a word, as in the pronunciation [kuhmf, -ter-b, uh, l] for comfortable or [aks] for ask.


metathesis

/ mɪˈtæθəsɪs; ˌmɛtəˈθɛtɪk /

noun

  1. the transposition of two sounds or letters in a word
  2. chem another name for double decomposition
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • metathetic, adjective
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Other Words From

  • met·a·thet·ic [met-, uh, -, thet, -ik], meta·theti·cal adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of metathesis1

First recorded in 1530–40; from Late Latin: literally, “transposition of letters of a word,” from Greek metáthesis “transposition, change”; meta-, thesis
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Word History and Origins

Origin of metathesis1

C16: from Late Latin, from Greek, from metatithenai to transpose
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Example Sentences

Metathesis of r is seen in undren 205, in loruerde 103 the scribe has added r by anticipation.

The living speech is further characterized by innumerable cases of consonantal metathesis and by parasitic nasalization.

It seems probable that the word asp in river-names is formed by metathesis from the word aps, p. 27, form 5.

Mo and do are here changed, by Metathesis and the substitution of one broad vowel for another, into am and ad.

Sometimes he lightened the pronunciation by metathesis, as he did when he pronounced interpretor as interpertor.

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