[ʕ]→[e]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5

Voiced pharyngeal fricative to Close-mid front unrounded vowel

In Akkadian, the loss of Proto-Semitic pharyngeal consonants (like ayin) resulted in a systematic mutation of neighboring vowels. This phenomenon, known as 'e-coloring', caused the original low vowel 'a' to shift to a mid-front 'e' before the consonant itself vanished.

Phonetic Effects

Vowel Coloring, Mutation, Raising

Language Examples

Akkadian Semitic

*baʕlum→bēlum— The original ayin colored the preceding 'a' to 'ē' before its own deletion.

*ʕarbum→erbum— Initial ayin colored the following 'a' to 'e'.

Related Transformations

Reverse non-mutating reflex lower mid-front target

More Semitic Shifts

[ã] → [õ] — Raising [ʕ] → [a] — Vocalization [ʕ] → [ʔ] — De-pharyngealization [b] → [v] — Spirantization [d] → [ð] — Spirantization

Sources & References

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