enclitic

[ en-klit-ik ]

adjective
  1. (of a word) closely connected in pronunciation with the preceding word and not having an independent accent or phonological status.

noun
  1. an enclitic word, as Latin que “and” in arma virumque, “arms and the man.”

Origin of enclitic

1
1650–60; <Late Latin encliticus<Greek enklitikós, equivalent to en-en-2 + klít(os) slope + -ikos-ic

Other words from enclitic

  • en·clit·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby enclitic

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British Dictionary definitions for enclitic

enclitic

/ (ɪnˈklɪtɪk) /


adjective
    • denoting or relating to a monosyllabic word or form that is treated as a suffix of the preceding word, as Latin -que in populusque

    • (in classical Greek) denoting or relating to a word that throws an accent back onto the preceding word

noun
  1. an enclitic word or linguistic form

Origin of enclitic

1
C17: from Late Latin encliticus, from Greek enklitikos, from enklinein to cause to lean, from en- ² + klinein to lean

Derived forms of enclitic

  • enclitically, adverb

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