metathesize
metathesize verb: to undergo or to subject to metathesis; of sounds, to switch positions in a word.
Verb
metathesize (third-person singular simple present metathesizes, present participle metathesizing, simple past and past participle metathesized)
- To undergo or to subject to metathesis; of sounds, to switch positions in a word.
- Cases like mu·yh : mu·hyut may be accounted for under a rule that clusters of h plus sonorant metathesize in word-final position.1939, Morris Swadesh & C. F. Voegelin, A Problem in Phonological Alternation, in Language, Vol. 15, No. 1
- The significance of noticing the existence of this adjective tharf by the side of the metathesized form thraf is of course apparent1888, James W. Bright, Thraf-Caik, in Modern Language Notes, Vol. 3, No. 3
Forms of metathesize
| third-person singular present | metathesizes |
|---|---|
| present participle | metathesizing |
| past participle | metathesized |
| past | metathesized |
| alternative form | metathesise |
| alternative form | metathetize |
Origin of metathesize
From metathesis + -ize.
Words formed from metathesize
Questions about metathesize
- What does metathesize mean?
- Metathesize means to undergo or to subject to metathesis; of sounds, to switch positions in a word.
- What part of speech is metathesize?
- Metathesize is a verb.
- What is the past tense of metathesize?
- The past tense of metathesize is metathesized.
Words near metathesize in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: metathesize (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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