[g]→[i]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5

Voiced velar plosive to Close front unrounded vowel

The shift from the voiced velar stop [g] to the high-front vowel [i] is a form of vocalization. In Germanic languages, this occurred when [g] (functioning as a palatal fricative [j] near front vowels) weakened and merged with the preceding vowel.

Phonetic Effects

Vocalization, Lenition

Language Examples

Old English to Modern English Germanic

reġn [j]→rain [eɪ] (via [i])— Vocalization of the palatal fricative into the vowel system.

haliġ→holy— Final [j] vocalized to [i].

Related Transformations

Reverse Related: Palatalization

More Germanic Shifts

[a] → [ã] — Assimilatory Nasalization [a] → [∅] — Elision [a] → [ʔ] — Glottalization [a] → [ə] — Vowel Reduction [ʕ] → [a] — Vocalization

Sources & References

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