Synalepha

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A synalepha (/ˌsɪnəˈlifə/, from Greek synaleifein “to smear together”, also synaloepha) is the elision of two syllables into one.

Examples:

• "Apollo's priest to th'Argive fleet doth bring" (from Homer)

Spanish uses the synalepha more prolifically. In a hendecasyllable by Garcilaso de la Vega:

Los cabellos que al oro escurecían.
(The hair that from gold grew darker)

que and al form one syllable when counting them because of the synalepha. The same thing happens with -ro and es-, thus allowing the correct number of syllables for a hendecasyllable, eleven and rendering it pronounced as follows:

Los cabellos queal oroescurecían.

See also

• Contraction (grammar)
• Crasis
• Elision
• Syncope
• Synaeresis

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