lenis
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le·nis
(lē′nĭs, lā′-)adj.
Articulated with relatively low pressure of the airstream below the glottis, as English (b) and (d) compared with (p) and (t).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lenis
(ˈliːnɪs) phoneticsadj
(Phonetics & Phonology) (of a consonant) articulated with weak muscular tension
n, pl lenes (ˈliːniːz)
(Phonetics & Phonology) a consonant, such as English b or v, pronounced with weak muscular force
[C19: from Latin: gentle]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
le•nis
(ˈli nɪs, ˈleɪ-)adj., n., pl. -nes (-niz) adj.
1. (of a consonant sound) pronounced with relatively weak muscular tension and breath pressure, as the sounds (b, d, g, j, v, t, z, zh) in English. Compare fortis.
n. 2. a lenis consonant.
[1925–30; < Latin: soft, mild, gentle]
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