enclitic
Syllabification: (en·clit·ic)
Pronunciation: /enˈklitik/
Linguistics
Definition of enclitic
noun
- a word pronounced with so little emphasis that it is shortened and forms part of the preceding word, e.g., n’t in can’t. Compare with proclitic.
adjective
Derivatives
Origin:
mid 17th century: via late Latin from Greek enklitikos, from enklinein 'lean on', from en- 'in, on' + klinein 'to lean'