diaeresis
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /daɪˈɛɹɪsɪs/
ipa: /daɪˈɪəɹɪsɪs/
ipa: /daɪˈɪəɹɪsɪs/
ipa: /daɪˈɛɹəsɪs/
Forms: form: diaereses
form: diaresis
form: dieresis
form: diæresis
form: diaëresis
form: diaresis
Etymology: PIE word
 *dwís
Unadapted borrowing from Late Latin diaeresis (“distribution; division of a diphthong into two syllables”), from Ancient Greek δῐαίρεσῐς (dĭaíresĭs, “distribution, division; division of a poetic line when the end of a word and a metrical foot coincide; division of a diphthong into two syllables”), from δῐαιρέω (dĭairéō, “to divide; to distinguish; to resolve a diphthong or contracted form”) + -σῐς (-sĭs, suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result). Δῐαιρέω (Dĭairéō) is derived from δῐᾰ- (dĭă-, prefix meaning ‘across; through; in different directions’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dwís (“doubly, twice; in two”)) + αἱρέω (hairéō, “to grasp, seize, take”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to grasp, seize, take”)).
Senses: examples: text: Synaeresis, the opposite of Diaëresis, is the throwing of two syllables into one; as, Seest for seëst. Looked for look-ed.
ref: 1843, John Forbes, “Prosody”, in A Double Grammar of English and Gaelic, in which the Principles of Both Languages are Clearly Explained; […], Edinburgh: W. Whyte & Co. […], →OCLC, paragraph 7, page 363, column 1:
topics: human-sciences
linguistics
phonology
prosody
sciences
antonyms: synaeresis
glosses: A separation of one syllable (especially a vowel which is a diphthong, that is, beginning with one sound and ending with another) into two distinct syllables; distraction.
examples: text: Diæreſis is vvhen tvvo points ouer a vovvell diuide it from another vovvel, as bouë, queuë, read bou-e, queu-e, not bo-ue, que-ue.
ref: 1611, Randle Cotgrave, compiler, “Briefe Directions for Such as Desire to Learne the French Tongue. And First, of the Vowels, and Diphthongs.”, in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, signature Nnnn, recto, column 2:
text: The Diæresis is used to divide a diphthong into two syllables; as, Creätor.
ref: 1841, William Corry, “Grammatical Terms, with Their Respective Marks and Explanations”, in An English Spelling Book, with Reading Lessons; for the Use of the Parish and Other Schools of New Brunswick, St. John, N.B.: […] Henry Chubb, […], →OCLC, page 8:
text: An 85-year injustice has been rectified at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey with the corrected spelling of one of the greatest of all literary names. Reader, it is finally Brontë, not Bronte. An amended memorial to Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë was unveiled on Thursday with added diaereses (two dots) that ensure people pronounce it with two syllables. As if it rhymed with Monty, not font. The memorial was installed in 1939 and, for whatever reason, came without the diaereses that the Brontës used.
ref: 2024 September 26, Mark Brown, “Brontë sisters finally get their dots as names corrected at Westminster Abbey”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Oct 2024:
topics: communications
human-sciences
journalism
linguistics
literature
media
orthography
phonology
prosody
publishing
sciences
writing
antonyms: synaeresis
glosses: A separation of one syllable (especially a vowel which is a diphthong, that is, beginning with one sound and ending with another) into two distinct syllables; distraction.
The diacritical mark consisting of two dots (¨) placed over a letter (especially the second of two consecutive vowels) to indicate that it is sounded separately, usually as a distinct syllable.
synonyms: trema
umlaut
coordinate_terms: umlaut
topics: human-sciences
linguistics
phonology
prosody
sciences
glosses: An occurrence of separate vowel sounds in adjacent syllables without an intervening consonant; a hiatus.
glosses: A division, a separation.
topics: human-sciences
linguistics
phonology
prosody
sciences
glosses: A natural break in rhythm when a word ends at the end of a metrical foot in a line of verse.
examples: text: There are four^([sic]) manners of performing the Diæreſis: viz. by Cutting, Pricking, Tearing, Dravving, and Burning.
ref: 1728, E[phraim] Chambers, “Diæresis”, in Cyclopædia: Or, An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences; […] In Two Volumes, volumes I (A–H), London: […] James and John Knapton [et al.], →OCLC, page 211, column 1:
topics: medicine
sciences
surgery
glosses: An act of separating body parts or tissues which are normally together.
Related terms: exaeresis
prosthaphaeresis
prosthaphæresis
synaeresis
synæresis
syneresis