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syl·lab·ic

(sĭ-lăbĭk)

adj.

a. Of, relating to, or consisting of a syllable or syllables.

b. Pronounced with every syllable distinct.

2. Linguistics Designating a sound that is or can be the most sonorant segment of a syllable, as a vowel or a resonant. In the word riddle (rĭdl), the two syllabic sounds are the (ĭ) and the (l).

3. Of or being a form of verse based on the number of syllables in a line rather than on the arrangement of accents or quantities.

n.
Linguistics

A syllabic sound.

[Medieval Latin syllabicus, from Greek sullabikos, from sullabē, syllable; see SYLLABLE.]

syl·labi·cal·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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