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Syllable

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a unit of pronunciation

Where does the word "syllable" come from? It comes from Greek syllabē, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
syllabē
Greek · ancient
"what is held together"
Greek, 'syn', together, plus 'lambanein', to take
2
Stage 2 of 3
sillabe
Old French · medieval
"syllable"
Anglo-French added an extra 'l' to the older 'sillabe'
3
Stage 3 of 3
syllable
English · 1300s
"syllable"
used by grammarians for each beat of a spoken word
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Read the full story

Syllable’s story begins in Greek: syllabē meant “what is held together.” Greek, 'syn', together, plus 'lambanein', to take. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as sillabe. Anglo-French added an extra 'l' to the older 'sillabe'. It reached English by 1300s as syllable. Used by grammarians for each beat of a spoken word. Today, syllable means a unit of pronunciation.