aphesis

 [af-uh-sis]  

aph·e·sis

   [af-uh-sis]
noun Historical Linguistics.
the disappearance or loss of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable, as in the formation of the word slant from aslant.
Origin:
1880; < Greek áphesis a letting go, equivalent to aphe- (variant stem of aphiénai to let go, set free; ap- ap-2 + hiénai to send) + -sis -sis
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Aphesis is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
aphesis (ˈæfɪsɪs)
 
—n
the gradual disappearance of an unstressed vowel at the beginning of a word, as in squire from esquire
 
[C19: from Greek, from aphienai to set free, send away]
 
aphetic
 
—adj
 
a'phetically
 
—adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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