[ɣ]→[au]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 3/5
Voiced velar fricative to Diphthong au
The voiced velar fricative /ɣ/ can undergo a process of lenition, specifically vocalization, where it weakens to a labio-velar approximant /w/. This approximant can then combine with a preceding vowel, often through diphthongization, to form a diphthong, such as /au/. This transformation is a common type of consonant weakening, where a fricative becomes less obstructed and eventually merges into a vowel sound.
Phonetic Effects
Lenition, Vocalization, Diphthongization
Language Examples
fugol→fowl— The Old English voiced velar fricative /ɣ/ in 'fugol' (pronounced /fuɣol/) vocalized to a labio-velar approximant /w/ in Middle English. This /w/ then combined with the preceding vowel to form a diphthong, which evolved into /aʊ/ in Modern English (as in /faʊl/), often broadly transcribed as /au/.
Related Transformations
More Germanic Shifts
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