[ɣ]→[j]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5

Palatalization Lenition Glide Formation Germanic

Voiced velar fricative to Voiced palatal approximant

The shift from the voiced velar fricative /ɣ/ to the palatal glide /j/ is a classic example of palatalization found in many language histories. Before front vowels, /ɣ/ is articulated further forward in the mouth. This fronted variant, a palatal approximant or fricative, naturally merges with the existing phoneme /j/.

Phonetic Effects

Palatalization, Lenition, Glide Formation

Language Examples

Old English Germanic

*da[ɣ]as→dæ[j] (dæg -> day)— The Proto-Germanic /ɣ/ became /j/ in Old English after front vowels or in syllable-initial position.

Dutch Germanic

goed /ɣut/→g'oed /jut/ (in some dialects)— In some dialects, the velar fricative is fronted to a palatal glide.

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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