[ʕ]→[k]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 2/5
Voiced pharyngeal fricative to Voiceless velar plosive
The voiced pharyngeal fricative (ʕ), often associated with the Arabic letter 'ain, can undergo a transformation to a voiceless velar plosive (k) in specific linguistic contexts. This shift is particularly observed in the adaptation of loanwords from Arabic into other languages, such as Malay. The change involves a complex set of phonetic modifications, including a significant fronting of the articulation point from the pharynx to the velum, a fortition from a continuous fricative sound to a stopped plosive, and a loss of voicing.
Phonetic Effects
Fronting, Fortition, Devoicing
Language Examples
[raʕijja]→rakyat— Arabic 'subjects; citizens' to Malay 'citizens'. The voiced pharyngeal fricative [ʕ] shifts to a voiceless velar plosive [k].
[ʕ] (syllable-final)→[k]— In Malay loanwords from Arabic, a syllable-final voiced pharyngeal fricative [ʕ] often corresponds to a voiceless velar plosive [k], as seen in words like Malay 'dakwa' ('accusation') and 'nikmat' ('pleasure') which originate from Arabic words with [ʕ].
Related Transformations
More Devoicing Shifts
Sources & References
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