Back to Matrix [kʰ] → [g] Edit this Data

[g]→[kʰ]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5

Devoicing Aspiration Grimm's Law Fortition Germanic Indo-European

Voiced velar plosive to Voiceless aspirated velar plosive

The transformation from a voiced velar plosive /g/ to a voiceless aspirated velar plosive /kʰ/ is a common phonetic development, typically occurring as a two-stage process involving devoicing and subsequent aspiration.

Phonetic Effects

Devoicing, Fortition, Aspiration

Language Examples

Old English Germanic

*ǵenu-→cnēo— Proto-Indo-European *ǵenu- (with a voiced palatovelar stop) underwent the Centum merger (where palatovelars merged with plain velars) and then Grimm's Law, resulting in Proto-Germanic *knewą (with a voiceless velar stop). This voiceless velar stop was subsequently aspirated in word-initial, stressed positions in Old English.

Related Transformations

Reverse

More Germanic Shifts

[a] → [ã] — Assimilatory Nasalization [a] → [∅] — Elision [a] → [ʔ] — Glottalization [a] → [ə] — Vowel Reduction [æ] → [ɛ] — Vowel Raising

Sources & References

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