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Lenition
01
lenizione
a phonological process where a consonant becomes weaker or less prominent in terms of articulation, often resulting in its softening, reduction, or loss of certain features
What is "lenition"?
Lenition is a phonological process in which a consonant sound becomes less forceful or weaker, often resulting in a change in its articulation. This can involve a sound becoming softer, voiced, or even disappearing altogether. For example, in some dialects of English, the /t/ sound in "butter" may be pronounced more like a soft /d/ sound, resulting in "budder." Lenition is significant in linguistics because it reflects natural tendencies in language evolution and sound change, providing insights into how phonetic variations can occur in different dialects and over time within a language.
