pseph-

English

Etymology

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

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: psēf, psĕf, IPA^(key): /psiːf/, /psɛf/
• (US) enPR: psēf, IPA^(key): /psif/

Prefix

pseph-

1. pebble, small stone
2. voting, election; ballot box

Usage notes

• 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

Terms derived in the sense “pebble”, “small stone”

• psephite (geology)
  • psephitic (geology)
• psephomancy (chiefly historical)

Terms derived in the sense “voting”, “election”; “ballot box”

• psephocracy
• psephograph (rare)
• psephology
  • psephological
    • psephologically
  • psephologist

Related terms

Terms ultimately deriving from ψῆφος (psēphos, “pebble”) but not formed with this prefix

• isopsephic
  • isopsephism
• psephism (Ancient Greek history)
• psephisma (Ancient Greek history)
• psephophoria

References

• “psepho-” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]
• “psepho-, comb. form” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [draft revision; June 2008]

Anagrams

• Hepps, hepps