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lenition

[ li-nish-uhn ]
/ lɪˈnɪʃ ən /

noun

Phonetics. a phonological process that weakens consonant articulation at the ends of syllables or between vowels, causing the consonant to become voiced, spirantized, or deleted.
Linguistics. a type of Celtic mutation that derives historically from phonological lenition.

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Origin of lenition

1535–45 for obsolete sense “mitigation, assuaging”; 1910–15 for current senses; <Latin lēnīt(us) (past participle of lēnīre to soften; see lenis, -ite2) + -ion

Words nearby lenition

Lenin Peak, Leninsk-Kuznetski, lenis, lenite, lenitic, lenition, lenitive, lenity, Lenni Lenape, Lennon, Lennox
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020