Definition & Meaning of "prothesis"

What is "prothesis"?

Prothesis is a phonological process where an extra sound is added to the beginning of a word, often to make it easier to pronounce. This typically occurs in specific linguistic contexts, such as when borrowing words from one language to another. For example, in Spanish, the Latin word "schola," meaning school, becomes "escuela," with the addition of an initial vowel sound. Prothesis is important in linguistics because it helps to illustrate how languages evolve and adapt, showing how speakers modify words for phonetic convenience and how these changes can affect the development of a language over time.