enclitic

American  

[en-klit-ik] / ɛnˈklɪt ɪk /

adjective

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

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noun

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

enclitic British  

/ ɪnˈklɪtɪk /

adjective

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

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

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noun

1. an enclitic word or linguistic form

Other Word Forms

• enclitically adverb

Etymology

Origin of enclitic

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

Example Sentences

He settled Hoti's business�let it be!�Properly based Oun� Gave us the doctrine of the enclitic De .

From Time Magazine Archive

Hoti's business, properly based Oun," and who "gave us the doctrine of the enclitic De," was, to the poet, "Still loftier than the world suspects, Living and dying.

From Browning as a Philosophical and Religious Teacher by Jones, Henry, Sir

In this system of spelling the circumflex is omitted when these words are enclitic.

From A Handbook of the Cornish Language chiefly in its latest stages with some account of its history and literature by Jenner, Henry

On line 131, "Gave us the doctrine of the enclitic De" of the poem, `A Grammarian's Funeral'.

From Life of Robert Browning by Sharp, William

The negative not was enclitic after the verb, and this gave us our shan't, don't, won't, &c.

From Society for Pure English, Tract 01 (1919) by Society for Pure English