Aphetize

/ˈæfətaɪz/ verb

Definition

To undergo or cause aphesis; to lose or drop the initial sound or syllable from a word.

Etymology

From aphesis + -ize (verb suffix). This verb form emerged in linguistic analysis to describe the active process of how sounds are lost from word beginnings.

Kelly Says

When you say 'nother' instead of 'another,' you're aphetizing in real-time—and if enough people do it, that informal pronunciation can eventually become the standard way the word is spoken.

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