əˈsibəˌlāt, aˈ-, usu -ād.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: ad- + sibilate
transitive verb
1. : to introduce a sibilant sound after or less often before
z was an assibilated d in primitive Greek — either dz or zd
2. : to convert to or replace by a sibilant sound or a sound of which a sibilant is one constituent (as when the pronunciation ˈindyən for Indian becomes ˈinjən; j . d + zh)
intransitive verb
: to change by introducing a sibilant sound
(noninitial) Indo-European ti (unless preceded by s ) assibilates (through palatalization to si — G.U. Bonfante