Lenition

Lenition or lenition (sometimes lenition ) ( to Latin lenis "mild, gentle ") is a term used in linguistics.

Below is usually understood in the corresponding lenis consonants of change of a fortis consonants. This may involve modification of unvoiced after voiced, but also the loss of aspiration, inter alia, details see in fortis.

The lenition is often found in voiced environment instead, so

• Either between vowels
• Or between vowels and voiced consonants then.

It is a process of assimilation. In southern German linguistic area in eastern Austria and in the Saxon and the initial sound is lenited, eg Swabian Daag " day ", boschd "Post", greiz "cross", see fortis. You will unaspiriert and pronounced voiced ( such as French / Spanish / Polish etc. t, p and k).

A particularly common phenomenon is the lenition in the development of the Western Romance languages ​​, as well as today. Still in the Celtic languages

Examples

• Latin rota 'wheel' will span rueda
• Latin capra "goat" will span cabra, French chèvre
• Welsh cath " cat ", but y gath " the cat "
• Also Scottish Gaelic muc "(a ) pig", but a ' mhuc " The Pig"