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Syllables vs Polysyllabism - What's the difference?

syllables | polysyllabism |

As nouns the difference between syllables and polysyllabism

is that syllables is while polysyllabism is (linguistics) the state or characteristic of having or using words containing multiple syllables, sometimes as a stage in the development of language.

syllables

English

Noun

(head)

    • polysyllabism

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (linguistics) The state or characteristic of having or using words containing multiple syllables, sometimes as a stage in the development of language.
  • *1936 , Martin Joos, "Book Review: The Psycho-Biology of Language by George K. Zipf," Language , vol. 12, no. 3 (July/Sep), p. 202,
  • *:Chinese polysyllabism is a sort of synthesis, or aggregation, or 'addition' of morphemes and their meanings.
  • Polysyllabicism.
  • *1867 , , Language and the Study of Language , Scribner, New York, p. 348,
  • *:Cumbrous compounds are formed as the names of objects and a character of tedious and time-wasting polysyllabism is given to the language.

    • Related terms

    *polysyllabic *polysyllabicity *polysyllable

    References

    * *Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed., 1989.