Psilosis
/saɪˈloʊ.sɪs/noun
The loss or removal of hair, or, in historical linguistics, the loss of an initial /h/ sound in Greek dialects.
Did you know?In Greek linguistics, psilosis describes the disappearance of the rough breathing sound—an invisible “h” being erased from speech.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ψιλός (psilós)
“Bare, naked, uncovered, or stripped of hair”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ψιλόω (psilóō)
“To make bare, strip, or remove hair”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ψίλωσις (psílōsis)
“A making bare or becoming bald; also the removal of an initial breathing sound”
Late Antiquity
Greek
psílōsis
“A technical term for denudation and the loss of an initial /h/ in Greek pronunciation”
19th Century
Scientific English
psilosis
“A medical or linguistic term for hair loss or the loss of initial aspiration”
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