lenition

[ li-nish-uhn ]

noun

1. 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.
2. Linguistics. a type of Celtic mutation that derives historically from phonological lenition.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lenition¹

1535–45 for obsolete sense “mitigation, assuaging”; 1910–15 for current senses; < Latin lēnīt ( us ) (past participle of lēnīre to soften; lenis, -ite ² ) + -ion