释义 |
itacism|ˈiːtəsɪz(ə)m| [f. Gr. ἦτα, the name of the letter η, pronounced (ˈiːtə) in later and modern Gr. (and English pronunciation of ancient Greek) as if spelt ἶτα; the suffix as in iotacism, rhotacism.] The giving to the Greek vowel η the sound-value |iː|, like Eng. ee (opposed to etacism, in which it has the original value |eː|); also the reduction in pronunciation of different Greek vowels and diphthongs (as ει, η, οι, υ, υι) to the sound |iː| (represented in ancient Greek by the letter ι, iota); cf. iotacism; hence the erroneous substitution in MSS. of ι for any of these vowels or diphthongs. So ˈitacist, one who practises or favours itacism; itaˈcistic a., characterized by itacism.
1837Hallam Hist. Lit. v. i. §25 Reuchlin's school, of which Melanchthon was one..were called Itacists, from the continual recurrence of the sound of Iota in modern Greek, being thus distinguished from the Etists of Erasmus's party. 1854Ellicott I Ep. Gal. Pref. (1859) 18 The apparent probabilities of erroneous transcription, permutation of letters, itacism, and so forth. 1861Scrivener Introd. Crit. N.T. i. 10 It seems more simple to account for the itacisms..by assuming that a vicious pronunciation gradually led to a loose mode of orthography adapted to it. 1881Westcott & Hort Grk. N.T. Introd. §303 Changes of an itacistic kind, as the confusion between imperatives..and infinitives. 1882Farrar Early Chr. I. 158 note, Some have supposed a pleasant play of words founded on itacism between chrestos (sweet) and Christos (Christ). |