这个词最早出现在1727年,指的是“除了押韵之外,单词之间的声音相似性”。它源自法语 assonance,而法语词又来自拉丁语 assonantem(主格 assonans),是动词 assonare 或 adsonare 的现在分词,意思是“回响,回应”。这个词的构成可以追溯到拉丁语前缀 ad(意为“向……”,参见 ad-)和动词 sonare(意为“发声”,源自原始印欧语词根 *swen-,意为“发声”)。
在韵律学中,assonance 更具体的含义是“重音元音的押韵或对应,但不包括辅音”,这一用法出现在1823年。到了20世纪,这个词的意义逐渐与 consonance(辅音和谐)融合,特别是在描述倾斜押韵或不完全押韵时,但实际上这两者之间是有区别的。
Assonance is the relationship between words with different consonants immediately preceding and following the last accented vowels, which vowels have identical sounds (hit/will, disturb/bird, absolute/unglued). Consonance is the relationship between words whose final accented vowel sounds are different but with the same consonant frame (truck/trick, billion/bullion, impelling/compiling, trance/trounce). [Miller Williams, "Patterns of Poetry"]
Assonance 指的是那些最后重音元音相同,但前后辅音不同的单词之间的关系(例如:hit/will, disturb/bird, absolute/unglued)。
Consonance 则是指那些最后重音元音不同,但辅音结构相同的单词之间的关系(例如:truck/trick, billion/bullion, impelling/compiling, trance/trounce)。[Miller Williams, "Patterns of Poetry"]