Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ


Mar 9, 2010
This week's theme
Words related to 16

This week's words
semiquaver
steenth
armageddon
lincolnesque
trichotillomania

Make a gift that
keeps on giving,
all year long:
A gift subscription of AWAD or give the gift of books
Discuss
Feedback
RSS/XML
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

steenth

PRONUNCIATION:
(steenth)

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Latest in an indefinitely long sequence.
2. One sixteenth.

ETYMOLOGY:
Alteration of the word sixteenth.

NOTES:
The formation of the word "steenth" from "sixteenth" took place through a process called aphesis (from Greek, literally "a letting go"). Aphesis occurs when an unstressed sound from the beginning of a word gets lost over time. Some other examples are:
"cute" from "acute"
"'tis" from "it is"
"gypsy" from "Egyptian", from the belief that Gypsies came from Egypt (they actually came from India).

USAGE:
"And for the steenth time I wondered why he hadn't phoned me."
Robert A. Heinlein; The Cat Who Walks Through Walls; Putnam Publishing; 1985.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
The highest result of education is tolerance. -Helen Keller, author and lecturer (1880-1968)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith