Enunat

Enunat is a term that appears in limited linguistic and cultural discussions, and there is no widely agreed definition. In many descriptions, enunat refers to a discourse phenomenon involving the encoding of multiple speaker stances within a single utterance or passage. The exact mechanism—whether through syntax, punctuation, or pragmatic cues—varies among sources.

Some authors associate enunat with the device of attributing speech to more than one agent within a sentence, effectively layering voices. Others use enunat to describe a narrative technique in which a narrator alternates between direct quotation and reported speech to present simultaneous or contested viewpoints. Because of this definitional variability, enunat is most often treated as a provisional label rather than a formal linguistic category.

Etymology is uncertain; the term seems to be a recent coinage, with suggested roots in enunciate and related terms for narrated speech, but there is no established origin or language family.

Usage is rare in formal references and is more commonly encountered in online glossaries, speculative fiction discussions, or experimental discourse studies. As a result, systematic description and assessment of enunat remain limited.

See also enunciation, discourse analysis, narrative voice, voice in literature, polyphony.