noun
- A linguistic phenomenon in which a word or clitic is phonologically attached to the following word rather than the preceding one.
Usage: linguistics, grammar; contrasts with enclisis
Examples
- In some languages, proclisis occurs when unstressed pronouns attach to the beginning of the next word.
- The study of proclisis helps linguists understand how words combine at the phonological level.
- Proclisis is common in Romance languages, where certain clitics lean forward onto the following verb.
- Linguists distinguish between proclisis and enclisis based on the direction of phonological attachment.