[e]→[h]Certainty: 3/5Commonality: 2/5

Devoicing Debuccalization Hellenic Japonic

Close-mid front unrounded vowel to Voiceless glottal fricative

The shift from [e] to [h] is typically a result of extreme devoicing or the development of aspiration (rough breathing) before initial vowels. It is historically prominent in the transition from various ancient Greek dialects.

Phonetic Effects

Devoicing, Debuccalization

Language Examples

Ancient Greek (Rough Breathing) Hellenic

ἕξ (hex, six) [e-]→[he-]— Spiritus asper (rough breathing): an [h] appears before the initial vowel. Strictly ∅→h, not e→h; the vowel is retained. Documented in Attic and Ionic Greek.

Japanese (Whispered/Rapid Speech) Japonic

[e] (unstressed short)→[h̥] / ∅— Japanese unstressed vowels devoice in certain environments; /e/ is less commonly devoiced than /i/ or /u/. True e→h replacement is marginal; flagged as poorly documented.

Related Transformations

Reverse

More Devoicing Shifts

[b] → [p] — Voice Loss [d] → [dʑ] — Palatalization [d] → [t] — Voice Loss [ei] → [e] — Monophthongization [ɛ] → [e] — Vowel Raising

Sources & References

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