plesio-comb. form
Stress is usually determined by a subsequent element and vowels may be reduced accordingly; see e.g.
plesiomorphic adj.Origin: A borrowing from Greek. Etymons: Greek πλησιο-, πλησι-.
Etymology: < ancient Greek πλησιο- (before a vowel πλησι-), combining form (in e.g. πλησιόχωρος adjacent) of πλησίος near < an ablaut variant of the base of ancient Greek πέλας near, of obscure origin + -ιος, suffix forming adjectives. Compare scientific Latin plesio- (formations in which are found from the early 19th cent.).Formations in English are found from the first half of the 19th cent. Combining with second elements of Greek origin.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2020).
comb. form