| 释义 |
metathesis|mɛˈtæθɪsɪs|
Pl. metatheses |mɛˈtæθɪsiːz|.
[a. late L. metathesis (in sense 1), a. Gr. µετάθεσις, n. of action of µετατιθέναι to transpose, change: see meta- and thesis. Cf. F. métathèse.]
1.
†a. Rhet. The transposition of words (obs.).
b. Gram. The interchange of position between sounds or letters in a word; the result of such a transposition. Also, quantitative metathesis, metathesis of quantity, a change of sequence long vowel + short vowel to short vowel + long vowel.
1608Hieron 2nd Pt. Def. Ministers' Reasons for Refusal Subscript. 114 By a metathesis or transposition [he] hath misplaced some of their words. 1660Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. iv. i. rule 2 §36 Tahur, which is the Metathesis of Hurta, a thief. 1796Pegge Anonym. (1809) 347 It is necessary sometimes to attend to the metathesis, or transposition of letters. I make no doubt but Sir John Falstaff is formed from Sir John Fastolph. 1862Rawlinson Anc. Mon., Chald. I. viii. 196 The Assyrian Nipur, which is Nipru, with a mere metathesis of the two final letters. 1890Athenæum 15 Feb. 208/2 The suggested metathesis kīryika to kīrikya does not recommend itself strongly. 1891D. B. Monro Gram. Homeric Dial. (ed. 2) 15 Metathesis. This term has been employed to explain a number of forms in which a short vowel is lost before a liquid, and the corresponding long vowel follows the two consonants thus brought together: as ξυµ-βλή-την met, Mid. βλῆ-το was struck (βᾰλ-, βέλ-ος). Ibid. 51 G. Curtius..made the counter-supposition that..the successive steps might be ὁρᾱ́οντες, ὁρώοντες and (by metathesis of quantity) ὁρόωντες. 1901H. Oertel Lect. Study Lang. 227 What goes under the name of ‘quantitative metathesis’ in Greek hardly belongs here. The ‘metathesis’ is confined to adjacent vowels, and the quantitative increase of the second vowel is probably compensative in its nature, going parallel with a quantitative reduction of the first. 1931B. F. C. Atkinson Gr. Lang. 206 Another curious phenomenon of the metre is the metathesis of quantities or shortening of a long vowel or diphthong before hiatus. 1933C. D. Buck Compar. Gram. Gr. & Lat. 93 Long vowels are shortened before other vowels in various dialects... When the second vowel is short it may be lengthened, resulting in what is known as ‘quantitative metathesis’. 1959A. Campbell Old Eng. Gram. 184 By full metathesis a consonant moves from immediately before a vowel to immediately after it, or the reverse. Ibid. 185 More usual than full metathesis is reversal of order in consonant groups, so that e.g. sk>ks, sp>ps. 1973A. H. Sommerstein Sound Pattern Anc. Gr. 70 Another non-occurring vowel sequence is [ẹ̄ọ̄]. Quantitative Metathesis can be extended without difficulty to modify this sequence by shortening the first vowel (there is no need to lengthen the second, it being already long).
erroneous use.1751–2Fielding Covent Gard. Jrnl. 9 Nov., The first syllable is Bob, change o into a, which is only a metathesis of one vowel for another, and you have Bab.
†2. Path.
a. = metastasis.
b. The transposition of a solid morbific substance (that cannot be evacuated) from one part to another where it will be less injurious.
1696Phillips (ed. 5), Metathesis... In Physick it is when a Disease goes from one part to another. 1753Chambers Cycl. Suppl., Metathesis,..a change of place in such humours, or other diseased parts, as cannot be absolutely removed or sent off. Thus a Metathesis of a cataract is a depression thereof, so that it no longer shuts out the light. 1832Webster (citing Coxe), Metathesis in medicine, a change or removal of a morbid cause, without expulsion.
3. gen. Change or reversal of condition.
1705Greenhill Art Embalm. 105 What a Metathesis is this! that he who perhaps was born of Royal Blood..shall now cry out with Job 17. 14, To Corruption, thou art my Father. 1873H. Rogers Orig. Bible v. (1878) 153 note, The slow processes, the abrupt transitions, the sudden metatheses, which history so often reveals.
4. Chem. (See quots.)
1872J. P. Cooke New Chem. (1874) 245 Metathesis consists in the interchange of atoms or groups of atoms between two molecules, and implies that the structure of these molecules is not otherwise altered. 1887I. Remsen Elem. Chem. 11 Double decomposition or metathesis... In double decomposition two or more substances act upon one another and give rise to the formation of two or more new ones. Thus when hydrochloric acid acts upon marble two substances, calcium chloride and carbonic acid, are formed. |