[bʱ]→[h]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 3/5
Voiced aspirated bilabial plosive to Voiceless glottal fricative
The transformation of a voiced aspirated bilabial plosive (bʱ) into a voiceless glottal fricative (h) is a notable instance of extreme lenition. This sound change involves the complete loss of the original consonant's voicing, aspiration, and bilabial articulation, resulting in a minimal glottal fricative. It represents a significant reduction in articulatory effort and phonetic complexity.
Phonetic Effects
Lenition, Devoicing, Deaspiration, Glottalization, Place Assimilation
Language Examples
bʱ→h— A preferred weakening of intervocalic or interior voiced aspirated stops, including /bʱ/, to /h/ was observed in certain western dialects of Old Indo-Aryan.
Related Transformations
More Lenition Shifts
Sources & References
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