zetacism

Z10E1T1A1C3I1S1M3

noun

A sound change converting a consonant into /z/, the voiced alveolar sibilant.

Scrabble 21
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounzetacism (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesA sound change converting a consonant into /z/, the voiced alveolar sibilant.

    In the Lettish language, which partakes altogether of a more modern character, the zetacism seizes the dentals, gutterals ^([sic]), sibilants and liquids […]

    1860, Leonhard Tafel, Latin Pronunciation and the Latin Alphabet, page 161
    1 more example

    Alternately, it was proposed that the reverse processes of sigmatism (the reverse of lambdacism) and zetacism (the reverse of rhotacism) may more accurately describe the alternations seen.

    1997, Calgary Working Papers in Linguistics, volumes 19-21, page 63
  2. uncountablehuman sciencesThe lack of a sound change in a language when languages in the same family undergo rhotacism.

Origin

From zeta + -cism (phenomenon related to a specific phoneme).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish zetacyzm
  • zetacyzmTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

zetacism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zetacism

MLA

“zetacism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zetacism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zetacism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zetacism.

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