SYNCOPE


In phonetics, 'syncope' (Greek ''syn-'' + ''kopein'' “to strike”) is the loss of one or more sounds from the interior of a word; especially, the loss of an unstressed vowel.

Contents
Syncope as a historical sound change
The loss of any sound
The loss of an unstressed vowel
Syncope as a poetic device
Syncope in informal speech
See also

Syncope as a historical sound change


In historical phonetics, the term "syncope" is often but not always limited to the loss of an unstressed vowel:
The loss of any sound


★ Old English ''hláford'' > English ''lord''

★ English ''Worcester'', pronounced

★ English ''Gloucester'', pronounced
The loss of an unstressed vowel


★ Latin ''cál[i]dum'' > Italian ''caldo'' "hot"

★ Latin ''óc[u]lum'' > Italian ''occhio'' "eye"

★ Latin ''trem[u]láre'' > French ''trembler'' "to tremble"

Syncope as a poetic device


Sounds may be removed from the interior of a word may be as a rhetoric or poetic device, whether for embellishment or for the sake of the meter.

★ Latin ''commo[ve]rat'' > poetic ''commorat'' ("he had moved")

★ English ''hast[e]ning'' > poetic ''hast'ning''

★ English ''heav[e]n'' > poetic ''heav'n''

★ English ''over'' > poetic ''o'er''
Syncope: passing out or fainting; common syptom of dysautonomia

Syncope in informal speech


Various sorts of colloquial reductions might be called "syncope". Forms such as "didn't" that are written with an apostrophe are, however, generally called contractions:

★ English ''[Au]stra[lia]n'' > colloquial ''Strine''

★ English ''go[ing t]o''> ''gonna''

★ English ''wa[nt t]o'' > ''wanna''

★ English ''did n[o]t'' > ''didn't''

★ English ''I [woul]d [h]ave'' > ''I'd've''

See also



Apocope

Apheresis

Synalepha

Clipping

Synaeresis

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