Lenite

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To soften a consonant in pronunciation, as when a stop becomes a fricative or is lost in certain grammatical contexts
2. To undergo a phonetic weakening of a consonant, a change common in Celtic languages such as Irish and Welsh
3. To change a consonant into a weaker sound, typically by making a hard stop softer or dropping it altogether

Etymology: "Lenite" is a back-formation from "lenition," meaning that the word was created by stripping the ending off an existing noun and treating the remainder as a verb. "Lenition" is the older term, and it comes from Latin "lenis," meaning "soft" or "smooth," the same root that gives English "lenient" and "lenity," both of which describe mildness or gentleness. In linguistics, lenition describes a sound change in which a consonant becomes weaker, for example a hard stop softening into a fricative or a sound disappearing altogether. The verb "lenite" thus means to undergo or cause this softening, and the Latin sense of gentleness carries over directly into the phonetic meaning. The verb is mainly used in discussions of Celtic languages, where lenition plays a major grammatical role.

Synonyms: soften, weaken

Antonyms: harden, strengthen