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rhotacism

Printable Version
Pronunciation: ro-dê-siz-êm Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. The change of a consonant to [r], as in Latin flos : floris "flower". 2. Use or excessive use of the burr or uvular [r], as in Scots English. 3. The inability to pronounce R, as a toddler's pronunciation of rabbit as wabbit (not to be confused with the actual word wabbit.)

Notes: The [r] sound in American English is created by puckering (rounding) the lips and curling the tongue up. Since children can only see the lips of adults, they omit curling their tongues in the early stages of language learning. Since the [w] sound is merely puckering the lips, [w] is what adults hear. Today's word comes with a verb, rhotacize, which allows for another noun, rhotacization.

In Play: RThe [r] sound in American English is created by puckering (rounding) the lips and curling the tongue up. Since children can only see the lips of adults, they omit curling their tongues in the early stages of language learning. Since the [w] sound is formed by merely puckering the lips, [w] is what adults hear. Today's word comes with a verb, rhotacize, which allows for another noun, rhotacization.

Word History: English borrowed this word from German Rhotacismus, borrowed from Late Latin rhotacismus, which came from Byzantine Greek rhotakismos "excessive or erroneous use of the letter rho". The Greek name of the letter rho came from either Hebrew or Phoenician roth. The Greek verbal suffix -izein is the source of the English verbal suffix -ize and the equivalent in other European languages. (Yet again Rob Towart has recommended an unexpectedly useful Good Word.)

Dr. Goodword, alphaDictionary.com

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