fortition: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Academic / Technical
Quick answer
What does “fortition” mean?
A phonological process whereby a consonant becomes stronger, more consonant-like.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A phonological process whereby a consonant becomes stronger, more consonant-like.
In linguistics, a sound change that increases the degree of constriction or intensity of a consonant, such as a fricative becoming a stop (e.g., /s/ -> /t/). It is the opposite of lenition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage between BrE and AmE.
Connotations
Purely technical term with no emotional connotation.
Frequency
Extremely rare outside academic linguistic discourse in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “fortition” in a Sentence
NounVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fortition” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The sound fortified over time, becoming a plosive.
American English
- The fricative fortited to a stop in that phonetic environment.
adverb
British English
- The consonant changed fortitionally.
American English
- It developed fortitively.
adjective
British English
- The fortitional process is well-documented.
American English
- A fortitive sound change occurred.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in phonology and historical linguistics to describe sound changes.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
The primary context; describes specific phonological processes.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fortition”
- Misspelling as 'fortification' (which is a military term).
- Using it as a general synonym for 'strengthening' outside linguistics.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The opposite process is called 'lenition' or weakening.
It is less common than lenition cross-linguistically but is attested in specific languages and historical developments.
In some dialects of Spanish, the Latin /f/ became /h/ (lenition), but in others, it remained /f/ or even strengthened (e.g., in some contexts, a gliding sound might become a stop, which would be fortition). A clearer example is the Proto-Germanic *þ (like 'th' in 'thin') becoming /d/ in some positions in Old High German (a stop is stronger than a fricative).
No, it is a strictly technical term within the field of phonology and historical linguistics.
A phonological process whereby a consonant becomes stronger, more consonant-like.
Fortition is usually academic / technical in register.
Fortition: in British English it is pronounced /fɔːˈtɪʃən/, and in American English it is pronounced /fɔːrˈtɪʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'FORTify' + '-ition'. Fortification makes something stronger, just as fortition makes a consonant sound stronger.
Conceptual Metaphor
STRENGTH IS UP/WEAKNESS IS DOWN. Fortition moves a sound 'up' the hierarchy of consonant strength.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'fortition' in phonology?