diaeresis diaeresis
 di-aer'-e-sis divisio, partitio

  1. The logical division of a genus into its species.
  2. Dividing one syllable into two (especially the pronunciation of two contiguous vowels). A kind of metaplasm.
 
Examples
 

An example of the second definition:

The professor's self-importance could be measured by the way he pronounced "medieval" as "medi-eval."

Related Figures
  To Definition one

To Definition two
Related Topics of Invention
 

 
  Sources: Isidore 1.35.4;Mosellanus a3v (Def. 2); Susenbrotus (1540) 23; Peacham (1577) E3r


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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Gideon O. Burton, Brigham Young University
Please cite "Silva Rhetoricae" (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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