lenite

English

Etymology

Back-formation from lenition.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːnaɪt/, /ləˈnaɪt/

Verb

lenite (third-person singular simple present lenites, present participle leniting, simple past and past participle lenited)

1. (phonetics, phonology, transitive) To cause (a consonant) to undergo lenition.

   This environment lenites "m" to "mh".

2. (phonetics, phonology, intransitive) To undergo lenition.

   "M" lenites to "mh".

   • 2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 265:

     The initial g- in several of the forms is due to reanalysis from syntactic constructions in which the initial k- preceded by a vowel regularly lenites.

Derived terms

• unlenited

Translations

cause a consonant to undergo lenition

German: lenieren Irish: séimhigh Scottish Gaelic: sèimhich Spanish: lenizar (es) (p. us.), lenificar (es)

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

lenite

1. inflection of lenire:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

lenite f pl

1. feminine plural of lenito

Latin

Verb

lēnīte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of lēniō