pseph-
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From the Ancient Greek ψῆφος (psêphos, “pebble”); the later, electoral sense stems from the ancient Athenian method of voting by putting a pebble in a ballot box (for which sense see psephisma and psephophoria).
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: psēf, psĕf, IPA(key): /psiːf/, /psɛf/
- (US) enPR: psēf, IPA(key): /psif/
Prefix
[edit]pseph-
- pebble, small stone
- voting, election; ballot box
Usage notes
[edit]- When combined with a word or another affix which begins with a consonant, this prefix concatenates with the interfix -o- (as psepho-).
- Of the pronunciations in use, psēf— is the most etymologically consistent.
Derived terms
[edit]Terms derived in the sense “pebble”, “small stone”
- psephite (geology)
- psephitic (geology)
- psephomancy (chiefly historical)
Terms derived in the sense “voting”, “election”; “ballot box”
Related terms
[edit]Terms ultimately deriving from ψῆφος (psēphos, “pebble”) but not formed with this prefix
- isopsephic
- psephism (Ancient Greek history)
- psephisma (Ancient Greek history)
- psephophoria
References
[edit]- “psepho-” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]
- “psepho-, comb. form” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [draft revision; June 2008]