Alliteration
/ˌæl.ɪ.təˈreɪ.ʃən/noun
The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in nearby words.
Did you know?The word comes through Latin from a phrase meaning “to the same letter,” and its root is tied to the same ancient source as “letter” itself — proof that writing and sound were once treated like power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leǵ-
“to gather, collect; later extended into the idea of reading and letters in descendant languages”
Latin
Latin
littera
“a letter of the alphabet; writing; a written character”
Late Latin
Latin
allitteratio
“a repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of nearby words”
Middle French
Old French
alliteration
“a rhetorical figure based on repeated initial letters or sounds”
Modern English
English
alliteration
“repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely connected words”
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