Syllabary
/ˈsɪl.ə.bər.i/noun
A set of written symbols in which each symbol represents a syllable.
Did you know?The core Greek verb behind syllabary also produced words for things being seized or taken, including “epilepsy” and “catalepsy.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sl̥gʷ-
“A reconstructed root associated with taking or seizing; its exact relationship to later Greek forms is debated.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
συλλαβή (syllabē)
“A syllable; literally, something taken or held together, from syn- “together” and lambanein “to take.””
Late Antiquity
Latin
syllaba
“A syllable; the Latin borrowing that transmitted the term into later European languages.”
16th Century
French
syllabaire
“A syllabic primer or book used for learning to read.”
17th Century
English
syllabary
“A writing system or list of symbols representing syllables.”
Modern English
English
syllabary
“A writing system whose basic signs represent syllables rather than individual consonants or vowels.”