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Prothesis

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The addition of a sound or syllable to the beginning of a word, often for metrical or rhythmic purposes

Detailed Definition
Prothesis is a phonological and poetic device involving the addition of a sound or syllable at the beginning of a word, often for metrical convenience, euphony, or dialectal flavor, such as inserting an initial “e” in “especial” instead of “special”; in poetry, prothesis can serve rhythmic needs—filling a metrical gap—or evoke archaic, regional, or foreign registers, subtly shaping tone and texture while maintaining semantic continuity, demonstrating how minor phonetic adjustments can significantly influence a poem’s sonic landscape and historical resonance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Prothesis: "Indeed, I saw the ghost at midnight"; "Truly, love is both dagger and balm"; "Verily, the stars foretold this meeting"; "Certainly, the path was fraught with thorns"
Additional Notes
Adding a syllable or sound at the beginning of a word for metrical or aesthetic purposes. Opposite of aphaeresis. Compare with epenthesis. Study archaic forms like "'twas."
Also Known As
Initial addition Prefix attachment Beginning augmentation Front-vowel insertion Prosthesis
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