spiritus
- noun
- /ˈspɪrɪtəs/
- Archaic
:
espíritu
- In ancient Greek manuscripts, a spiritus is placed above the initial vowel to guide pronunciation.
Examples
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The textbook explains how to distinguish between the rough and smooth spiritus in Greek words.
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Scholars must learn the use of the spiritus when studying classical Greek texts.
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A spiritus can change pronunciation.
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Look at the spiritus above the vowel!
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In ancient Greek manuscripts, a spiritus is placed above the initial vowel to guide pronunciation.
-
The textbook explains how to distinguish between the rough and smooth spiritus in Greek words.
-
Scholars must learn the use of the spiritus when studying classical Greek texts.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Spiritus was also the name for the small Greek marks that show a rough or smooth start to a vowel, because the word comes from spirare 'to breathe'. So a Greek spiritus tells the reader whether to add a little 'breath' sound at the start of a word.
