atonicadj.n.
/əˈtɒnɪk/ A. adj.
1. Prosody. Not having an accent, unaccented; usually, not bearing the stress or syllabic accent, as ‘the atonic syllables of a word,’ ‘an atonic vowel’.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > intonation, pitch, or stress > [adjective] > accent > stressed > unstressed
flat1589
light1775
stressless1871
atonic1878
unstressed1884
weak-stressed1898
1878 Kitchin tr. Brachet Fr. Dict. §50 Every atonic Latin vowel, in the last syllable of a word disappears in French.
2. Pathology. Wanting tone; characterized by want of tone or nervous elasticity in the system.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > [adjective] > in state of ill health or diseased > weak
unmightyeOE
unferea1060
unwieldc1220
fade1303
lewc1325
weak1340
fainta1375
sicklyc1374
unwieldyc1386
impotent1390
delicatea1398
lowa1398
unmighta1450
unlustyc1450
low-brought1459
wearyc1480
failed1490
worn1508
caduke?1518
fainty1530
weak1535
debile1536
fluey1545
tewly?1547
faltering1549
puling1549
imbecilec1550
debilitate1552
flash1562
unable1577
unhealthful1595
unabled1597
whindling1601
infirm1608
debilitated1611
bedrid1629
washya1631
silly1636
fluea1645
tender1645
invaletudinary1661
languishant1674
valetudinaire?c1682
puly1688
thriftless1693
unheartya1699
wishy-washy1703
enervate1706
valetudinarian1713
lask1727
wersh1755
palliea1774
wankle1781
asthenic1789
atonic1792
squeal1794
adynamic1803
worn-down1814
totterish1817
asthenical1819
prostrate1820
used up1823
wankya1825
creaky1834
groggy1834
puny1838
imbeciled1840
rickety-rackety1840
muscleless1841
weedy1849
tottery1861
crocky1880
wimbly-wambly1881
ramshackle1889
twitterly1896
twittery1907
wonky1919
strung out1959
1792 Gentleman's Mag. May 448 Recommended in the atonic gout.
1843 C. Williams Princ. Med. iii. §494 Atonic enlargement of the capillaries.
1861 Sat. Rev. 7 Sept. 240 We live in what is delicately called an atonic age. Medical science is devoted constantly to the task of fanning into a sickly flame the sparks of life.
B. n.
1. Prosody. A word or element of speech not having an accent. (Used spec. in Ancient Greek Grammar of the words ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ, ἐν, ἐς, εἰς, ἐκ, ἐξ, εἰ, οὐ, ὡς.)
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > intonation, pitch, or stress > [noun] > accent > stress accent > stressed or unstressed word or syllable
atonic1741
unemphatic1815
tone-syllable1821
stress position1900
1741 Chambers's Cycl. (ed. 4) at Accent Words which have no accent are called Atonics.
1874 Parry Grk. Gram. 172 Ten monosyllables (called Atonics or Proclitics) have no accents.
2. Medicine. ‘A remedy having power to allay excitement.’ New Sydenham Soc. Lexicon 1881.
ΚΠ
1864 in Webster's Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1885; most recently modified version published online March 2021).
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adj.n.1741