What is consonantal metathesis?

Question

This term was a beautifully succinct answer to a question but left me rather confused.

Answer 1

metathesis is the exchange of sounds or letters in a word. Example: "pretty" becomes "purty".

And old english "brid" became "bird".



I'm assuming that consonantal metathesis involves the exchange of consonants.

Answer 2

Methathethis is a sound change that alters the order of phenomes in a word...the most common instance of metathesis is the reversal of the order of two adjacent phenomes...

Answer 3

con·so·nan·tal



con·so·nan·tal [kònsə nánt’l]

adj

1. of consonant: consisting of, relating to, or functioning like a consonant

2. containing consonants: containing consonants or nothing but consonants







-con·so·nan·tal·ly, adv





me·tath·e·sis



me·tath·e·sis [me táthəssiss]

(plural me·tath·e·ses [me táthə sz])

n

1. linguistics transposition of sounds: a reversal of the order of two sounds or letters in a word, either as a mispronunciation or as a historical development

2. chemistry See double decomposition





[Late 16th century. From, ultimately, Greek , from metatithenai “to transpose,” literally “to place differently,” from tithenai “to place” (see thesis).]





-met·a·thet·ic [mèttə théttik], adj

-met·a·thet·i·cal, adj

-met·a·thet·i·cal·ly, adv

Answer 4

In chemistry terms...it means:

A chemical reaction agreeably relating to double decomposition.

Answer 5

a person who can read two poems at once