synaeresis

1 the contraction of two vowels into a diphthong [syn: syneresis]

2 the separation of liquid from a gel that is caused by contraction (as in cheese making) [syn: syneresis]

English

Alternative spellings

• syneresis i US
• synæresis

Etymology

From the Greek συναίρεσις.

Noun

1. the contraction of two vowels into a diphthong or a long vowel.

   An example of synaeresis is the contraction of the -ew (/uː/) and or- (/oʊɹ/) of New Orleans into /nɔːlənz/.

2. the separating out of the liquid from a gel.

References

• Silva Rhetoricae (rhetoric.byu.edu)

In linguistics, synaeresis (Greek συναίρεσις) is the contraction of two vowels into a diphthong (or long vowel). If synaeresis is used against convention, it may serve as a rhetorical figure (a metaplasm). The opposite phenomenon is known as diaeresis.

In historical linguistics, such contractions often result after the regular loss of a consonant that used to separate the two vowels. In this case, the resulting vowel or diphthong will typically carry a circumflex intonation.

See also

• Synalepha
• Contraction (grammar)
• Diaeresis
• Crasis