lenis

American  

[lee-nis, ley-] / ˈli nɪs, ˈleɪ- /

adjective

1. pronounced with relatively weak muscular tension and breath pressure, resulting in weak sound effect: in stressed or unstressed position, (b, d, g, j, v, th̸, z, andzh ) are lenis in English, as compared with (p, t, k, ch, f, th, s, andsh ), which are fortis.

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noun

plural

lenes

1. a lenis consonant.

lenis British  

/ ˈliːnɪs /

adjective

1. (of a consonant) articulated with weak muscular tension

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noun

1. a consonant, such as English b or v, pronounced with weak muscular force

Etymology

Origin of lenis

First recorded in 1925–30; from Latin: “soft, mild, gentle”

Example Sentences

A. Di, quibus audaces amor est servare carinas Saevaque ventosi mulcere pericula ponti, Sternite molle fretum placidumque advertite votis Concilium, et lenis non obstrepat unda precanti: 5 Grande tuo rarumque damus, Neptune, profundo Depositum.

From Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Luce, Edmund

The large series now available from Nephi and nearby localities do show some intergradation with lenis, in that four characters are more as in lenis and contractus and seven characters are more as in albicaudatus.

From The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah, Vol. 1 No. 1 Kansas University Publications. by Durrant, Stephen D.

The animals from Lynndyl which are intergrades between lenis, an eastern mainland form, and centralis and aureiventris which are western mainland forms of Lake Bonneville lend support to this hypothesis.

From The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah, Vol. 1 No. 1 Kansas University Publications. by Durrant, Stephen D.

For comparisons with Thomomys bottae lenis, contractus, sevieri, bonnevillei, and robustus see accounts of those forms.

From The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah, Vol. 1 No. 1 Kansas University Publications. by Durrant, Stephen D.

The length of the skull is second only to that of lenis as also is the length and breadth of the rostrum relative to the basilar length.

From The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah, Vol. 1 No. 1 Kansas University Publications. by Durrant, Stephen D.