Acrophonic
/ˌæk.rəˈfɒn.ɪk/noun
Relating to the use of a symbol or letter to represent the initial sound of a word.
Did you know?The acrophonic principle helped ancient writing systems connect letter symbols with words whose names began with the sounds those letters represented.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ak-
“Sharp, pointed, or at the edge; the ancestor of words connected with extremities and sharpness.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄκρον (ákron)
“The highest point, extremity, or tip.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φωνή (phōnḗ)
“Voice, sound, or speech.”
19th Century
Greek-derived English
acrophony
“The use of a word’s initial sound to represent it symbolically, especially in writing systems.”
19th–20th Century
English
acrophonic
“Relating to acrophony or to representation by an initial sound.”