anaptotic

[ an-uhp-tot-ik ]

adjective

, Archaic.

1. (of languages) tending to become uninflected, in accordance with a theory that languages evolve from uninflected to inflected and back.

Word History and Origins

Origin of anaptotic¹

1840–50; an- ³ + aptote (< Greek áptōton, noun use of neuter of áptōtos uninflected, not falling, equivalent to a- a- ⁶ + ptōtós falling, verbid of píptein to fall) + -ic

Example Sentences

Having lost, or tending to lose, inflections by phonetic decay; as, anaptotic languages.

From Project Gutenberg