synaloepha

noun

syn·​a·​loe·​pha

variants or synalepha

ˌsinəˈlēfə

plural -s

: the blending into one syllable of two vowels of adjacent syllables (as by crasis, synaeresis, synizesis, elision)

especially : a contraction of syllables by obscuring or suppressing a vowel or diphthong at the end of a word before another vowel or diphthong (as in th' army, for the army)

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek synaloiphē, synaliphē, from synaleiphein to clog up, coalesce, unite two syllables into one, from syn- + aleiphein to anoint, besmear; akin to Greek lipos fat

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