lenite

L1E1N1I1T1E1
/ˈliːnaɪt//ləˈnaɪt/

verb

To cause (a consonant) to undergo lenition.

“"M" lenites to "mh".”

Scrabble 6
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Meanings

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

present singular third person lenites · participle present leniting · participle past lenited · past lenited

  1. transitivehuman sciencesTo cause (a consonant) to undergo lenition.

    This environment lenites "m" to "mh".

  2. intransitivehuman sciencesTo undergo lenition.

    "M" lenites to "mh".

    1 more example

    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.

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

Origin

Back-formation from lenition.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German lenieren
  • lenierencause a consonant to undergo lenition
Irish séimhigh
  • séimhighcause a consonant to undergo lenition
Scottish Gaelic sèimhich
  • sèimhichcause a consonant to undergo lenition
Spanish lenizar, lenificar
  • lenizarcause a consonant to undergo lenition
  • lenificarcause a consonant to undergo lenition
Cite this entry
APA

lenite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lenite

MLA

“lenite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lenite. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lenite,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lenite.

Source: lenite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.