duretics

D2U1R1E1T1I1C3S1

noun

The study of syllable length, concerned with both the phonetic prolonging and gemination of vowels and consonants, as well as the semantic distinctions that occur in a language as a consequence of phonetic lengthening.

OriginEnglish duration ← Middle English duracioun ← Old French duracion →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nounduretics (uncountable)
  1. datedrareuncountablehuman sciencesThe study of syllable length, concerned with both the phonetic prolonging and gemination of vowels and consonants, as well as the semantic distinctions that occur in a language as a consequence of phonetic lengthening.
  2. uncountableDoke, Clement Martyn (1927), “A study in Lamba phonetics”, in Bantu Studies, volume 3, number 1, pages 26–27
  3. uncountableDoke, Clement Martyn (1927), “An outline of Ila phonetics”, in Bantu Studies, volume 3, number 1, page 143

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dweh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dweh₂rós
  3. Proto-Italic*dūros
  4. Latindūrus
  5. Latindūrō
  6. Medieval Latindūrātiō
  7. Old Frenchduracion
  8. Middle Englishduracioun
  9. Englishduration
  10. Englishduretics

From duration + -etic + -s.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

duretics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duretics

MLA

“duretics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duretics. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “duretics,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duretics.

Source: duretics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.