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enclitic
[ en-klit-ik ]
/ ɛnˈklɪt ɪk /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
(of a word) closely connected in pronunciation with the preceding word and not having an independent accent or phonological status.
noun
an enclitic word, as Latin que “and” in arma virumque, “arms and the man.”
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Origin of enclitic
OTHER WORDS FROM enclitic
en·clit·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby enclitic
Encke's division, encl., en clair, enclasp, enclave, enclitic, enclose, enclosed, enclosed order, enclosure, enclosure act
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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
an enclitic word or linguistic form
Compare proclitic
Derived forms of enclitic
enclitically, adverbWord Origin for enclitic
C17: from Late Latin encliticus, from Greek enklitikos, from enklinein to cause to lean, from en- ² + klinein to lean
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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