What is a proclitic?

Definition
	A proclitic is a clitic that precedes the word to which it is phonologically joined.

Example (English)

The English article the, when unstressed and with a reduced vowel, is a proclitic, as in the following:

the house

Adapted from:

Crystal 1980 64

Concept module: proclitic
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004