Sigmatism
/ˈsɪɡ.mə.tɪz.əm/noun
A speech disorder involving an abnormal pronunciation of the sibilant sound /s/.
Did you know?The word comes from the Greek name of the letter sigma, turning a single alphabetic character into a technical label for disordered speech.
Etymological Timeline
1st Millennium BCE
Phoenician
samekh
“The Phoenician letter-name and character traditionally regarded as the ancestor of Greek sigma; its original meaning is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σίγμα (sigma)
“The name of the Greek letter representing an s sound.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σιγματισμός (sigmatismos)
“A pronunciation involving sigma, especially an abnormal or defective s sound.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
sigmatismus
“A speech defect associated with faulty pronunciation of s.”
17th Century
English
sigmatism
“A speech impediment involving mispronunciation of sibilant sounds.”
Modern English
English
sigmatism
“A clinical or phonetic term for abnormal articulation of /s/, often involving lisping or excessive sibilance.”
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