rhotacism

From New Latin rhōtacismus, from Ancient Greek *ῥωτακισμός (*rhōtakismós), from ῥωτακίζω (rhōtakízō, “to incorrectly use rho”), from ῥῶ (rhô, “rho (the Greek equivalent of r)”) in analogy with ἰωτακίζω (iōtakízō, “to incorrectly use iota”); this in turn from ἰῶτα (iôta) in analogy with ἀττικίζω (attikízō, “talk like an Athenian”). By surface analysis rho +‎ -tacism.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹoʊtəsɪzəm/

rhotacism (countable and uncountable, plural rhotacisms)

1. An exaggerated use of the sound of the letter R.
2. (countable, phonology) A linguistic phenomenon in which a consonant changes into an R, such as Latin flos becoming florem in the accusative case; rhotacization.
3. Inability to pronounce the letter R; derhotacization.
   • 1970, Leland E. Hinsie, Robert Jean Campbell, Psychiatric Dictionary, Oxford University Press, page 711:

     For example: r’s may become burrs or guttural grunts or w’s or l’s (rhotacism); […]

   • 1976: Deafness, Speech, and Hearing Publications, Inc., of Gallaudet College & the American Speech and Hearing Association, DSH Abstracts, volumes 16–17 (1976–1977), page 289 (Deafness Speech and Hearing Publications)

     From the analysis of Kana writings, hypothesizes that the inability to establish a stable… […] The correction of rhotacism by means of an electric vibrator.

   • 2005: Bernard Fogel, PhD, CCC-SLP, Exercising the Rhotacism in Absence of Pathology (ADVANCE)

     It is universally accepted that the rhotacism, a defective utterance of the /r/ sounds, is usually the last and most difficult American English consonant to correct functionally.

     I use two methods to help correct the rhotacism.

• zetacism
• lambdacism
• sigmatism

• nonrhotic
• non-rhotic
• rhotic
• rhoticity

• chromista