lɛnɪˈʃən

Definitions

1. noun

a process or instance of softening or weakening the pronunciation of a consonant in a word, especially in a language such as Latin or Irish, as a result of linguistic evolution.

“The lenition of the consonant ‘c’ in the Latin word ‘capit’ eventually led to the modern spelling of ‘capi’.”

2. noun

a change in the pronunciation of a consonant in a word, especially from a stop or fricative sound to a corresponding approximant sound, such as the change from ‘k’ to ‘j’ in some languages.

“The lenition of the consonant ‘k’ in some dialects of Arabic has resulted in a more palatalized sound.”