Re: Lenition or Elision or What?

caeruleancentaur wrote:
[snip]

> FWIW here are the definitions from AHD:
>
> syneresis: The drawing together into one syllable of two consecutive
> vowels ordinarily pronounced separately.
>
> synizesis: The contraction of two syllables into one by joining in
> pronunciation two adjacent vowels. Compare syneresis. (Interesting
> Greek etymology: to sit down together!)
>
> At first I couldn't see the difference!  But now I think I do.  The
> definition of synizesis mentions pronunciation specifically, so I
> would imagine that there is a coalescence of pronunciation, but not
> of spelling.
That's correct. There was also in Ancient Greek a feature called
'crasis' (mixing).

If I take the Senjecan example m-i-ât-a:
(a) pronounced ['mjat_da] but written miâta - synizesis
(b) pronounced ['mjat_da] and written, say*, mjâta - syn(a)eresis
(c) if i+a run together to give, say [e], and we have mêta ['met_da] -
crasis.

*I believe Senjecan doesn't have the sound [j].

and, of course
(d) coalescence [m_jat-da]   :-)

> If that is the case, I would think that the
> Senjecan /mi/ --> /mï/ would be synizesis.
Presumably you don't mean slashes. I thought |ï| was used in Senjecan as
a sign of palatalization? if so, it would be coalescence.


--
Ray
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