Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics

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Elision
(903 words)

Abstract

In Ancient Greek elision is the complete elimination of a vowel (generally short) that is followed by another vowel in composition or at word-juncture.

Elision (Lat. elisiō, Gr. ékthlipsis, from ekthlíbō ‘squeeze out’) is the complete elimination of a vowel followed by another vowel. With crasis (or contraction) and aphaeresis, it is one of the strategies to eliminate vowel hiatus.

In Ancient Greek elision occurs in the domain of composition (compound nouns) and word-juncture:

       epágō ‘lead on’ = epı́ + ágō, ep’ ṓmōn ‘over the sh…

Cite this page
Alcorac Alonso Déniz, “Elision”, in: Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics, General Editor: Georgios K. Giannakis. Consulted online on 29 November 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2214-448X_eagll_SIM_00000455>
First published online: 2013



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