English

Adjective

tenuis ‎(not comparable)

1. Of Greek consonants, neither aspirated nor voiced, as [p], [t], [k]
2. (linguistics) Of obstruents in other languages, not voiced, aspirated, glottalized, or otherwise different in phonation from the prototypical values of the voiceless IPA letters ([p], [t], [k], [f], [θ], [s], [ʃ], etc.).

Anagrams

• unites, unties

Noun

tenuis ‎(plural tenues)

1. (linguistics) a tenuis consonant
   • 1887, Max Müller

     The tenuis becomes aspirate in Low-German.

Antonyms

• media
• aspirate

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ténh₂us ‎(“thin”). Cognates include Sanskrit तनु ‎(tanú), Ancient Greek τανυ- ‎(tanu-) and Old English þynne (English thin).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.nu.is/
• (sometimes in poetry) IPA^(key): /ˈten.wis/

Adjective

tenuis m, f ‎(neuter tenue); third declension

1. thin, fine, slender
2. weak, watery
3. slight, trifling
4. delicate, subtle

Inflection

Third declension.

Derived terms

• tenue
• tenuistīpitātus (Mediaeval Latin)
• tenuiter

Related terms

• tener

Descendants

• English: tenuis, tenuous
• French: ténu, ténue
• Italian: tenue
• Portuguese: ténue (Portugal), tênue (Brazil)
• Spanish: tenue

References

• tenuis in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• tenuis in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “tenuis”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • elevated, moderate, plain style: genus dicendi grave or grande, medium, tenue (cf. Or. 5. 20; 6. 21)
    
  • meagre diet: victus tenuis (Fin. 2. 28. 90)
    
  • little money: pecunia exigua or tenuis