Dictionary

syllabify en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /sɪˈlæbɪfaɪ/
• sĭlăʹbĭfī

Etymology

First attested in 1799–1802; back-formation from syllabification; compare the Old French sillabifier.

Meanings

1. To divide a word into syllables; to syllabicate; to syllabize.
   • A method alſo of teaching the learners “to ſyllabify with the counters” is pointed out. 1799–1800, P.V. Lenoir, either “French Pronunciation and Reading made Eaſy, or the Logographic-emblematical French Spelling-Book, &c.” (1799, Dulau and Co.) or “The Logographic-emblematical Engliſh Spelling-Book, or a Method of teaching Children to read” (1800, Booſey), quoted in article 35–36 of The British Critic, volume 19 (1802, January–June), page 97
   • syllabicate 2    syllabication 1 syllabify 2        syllabification 1 syllabize 1     syllabization 3 One first-class verb, two first-class nouns, but neither of those nouns belonging to that verb. It is absurd enough, & any of several ways out would do; that indeed is why none of them is taken. The best thing would be to accept the most recognized verb syllabize, give it the now non-existent noun syllabization, & relegate all the rest to the Superfluous words; but there is no authority both willing & able to issue such decrees. 1926, Henry Watson Fowler, A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1st ed., Oxford at the Clarendon Press), page 590, column 2, “syllabize &c.” syllabize &c. A verb & a noun are clearly sometimes needed for the notion of dividing words into syllables. The possible pairs seem to be the following (the number after each word means — 1, that it is in fairly common use; 2, that it is on record; 3, that it is not given in OED): — syllabate 3 syllabation 2

Forms

Deriveds

resyllabify · syllabifiable · disyllabify

Synonyms

syllabicate · syllabize

Translations (13)

fi tavuttaa (to parse into syllables) · el συλλαβοποιώ (to parse into syllables) · ca lletrejar (to parse into syllables) · bg разделям на срички (to parse into syllables) · tr hecelemek (to parse into syllables) · ca sil·labejar (to parse into syllables) · es silabear (to parse into syllables) · fr syllaber (to parse into syllables) · it sillabare (to parse into syllables) · hu szótagol (to parse into syllables) · ro silabisi (to parse into syllables) · vo silabön (to parse into syllables) · es silabar (to parse into syllables)