metathesis

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a linguistic process of transposition of sounds or syllables within a word or words within a sentence
  2. noun a chemical reaction between two compounds in which parts of each are interchanged to form two new compounds (AB+CD=AD+CB)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin metathesis, from Ancient Greek μετάθεσις (metáthesis), from μετά (metá, “among”) + θέσις (thésis, “placement”).

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