atonic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /eɪˈtɒnɪk/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)der. English a- Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *tónos Proto-Hellenic *tónos Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) Ancient Greek τονῐκός (tonĭkós) English tonic English atonic From a- + tonic.
Meanings
- (of a sound or syllable, unstressed) unstressed
-
not having tone (pitch)
Some syllables are distinguished by an absence of tone; they are said to be atonic or to have a neutral tone.
1984, John DeFrancis, The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy (nonfiction), University of Hawaii Press, page 45:
- Lacking muscle tone.
-
Characterized by atony, or want of vital energy.
an atonic disease
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most atonic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more atonic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
atony · atonicity · atonia · atonically
Relateds
Translations (5)
pl atoniczny (not having tone) · pt átono (unstressed) · pl atoniczny (medicine) · es átono (unstressed) · pl atoniczny (pathology)