aphereses
/əˈfɛrəsiːz/
noun
- The plural form of apheresis, referring to the loss of one or more sounds or syllables from the beginning of a word (e.g., 'bus' from 'omnibus').
- The textbook listed several aphereses, including 'copter' from 'helicopter'.
- Many common English words, like 'phone' from 'telephone', are examples of aphereses.
- Linguists study aphereses to understand how languages change over time.