[a]→[w]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 2/5
Open front unrounded vowel to Voiced labio-velar approximant
The shift from an open vowel like [a] to a labio-velar glide [w] typically occurs as part of a diphthongization process where a velar or rounded quality is introduced, or as a reduction of a vowel in specific unstressed contexts.
Phonetic Effects
Diphthongization, Glide Formation
Language Examples
/a/ + /u/→[aw]— Formation of the 'ou' diphthong in words like 'house' from earlier vowel sequences.
Related Transformations
More Germanic Shifts
Sources & References
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