Definition
An enclitic is a clitic that is phonologically joined at the end of a preceding word to form a single unit.
Examples
(English)
The English negative morpheme not becomes an enclitic when de-stressed and joined to the preceding auxiliary verb, as in the following:
- can’t
- won’t
- shouldn’t
Sources 3
- Mish 1991, 409
- Crystal 1980, 64
- Pei and Gaynor 1954, 65