proclitícs

Proclitics are unstressed words that are phonologically bound to the following stressed word. They typically precede the word they are attached to and lose their own stress and often undergo phonetic changes. These words are often grammatical function words like prepositions, articles, or pronouns. For example, in English, the preposition "to" in "to go" is often unstressed and can be reduced to a schwa sound, making it sound like it is part of the word "go."

The concept of proclitics is most prominent in languages that have strong stress patterns. In such languages, proclitics help to maintain the rhythmic flow by attaching to a word that carries a stronger stress. This attachment is not just a matter of proximity but a deeper phonological and sometimes morphological relationship. Without their host word, proclitics often lack independent meaning or may even be unpronounceable.

Examples can be found in various language families. In Greek, definite articles like 'o' (the masculine singular nominative) become proclitic before nouns. Similarly, in Slavic languages, prepositions frequently function as proclitics. The precise definition and extent of what constitutes a proclitic can vary slightly between linguistic analyses and across different languages, but the core idea of an unstressed, preceding word attached to a stressed host remains consistent.