epenthesis

Meaning

Noun

• The insertion of a phoneme, letter, or syllable into a word, usually to satisfy the phonological constraints of a language or poetic context.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• excrescence
• anaptyxis
• svarabhakti
• vyanjanabhakti

Broader meaning words

• metaplasm

Origin

• Middle of 16th century: via Late Latin, from Ancient Greek ἐπένθεσις, from ἐπεντίθημι, from ἐπί + ἐντίθημι, from ἐν + τίθημι.