The Universal Atlas of Phonetic Evolution
Back to Matrix [b] → [h] Edit this Data

[h]→[b]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5

Voiceless glottal fricative to Voiced bilabial plosive

The hardening of [h] to [b] is a notable feature of certain language-wide morphological patterns, where a weakened glottal sound reverts to a stronger labial ancestor.

Phonetic Effects

Fortition, Rendaku

Language Examples

hana (花, flower)→ikebana [b] (生け花)— Rendaku (sequential voicing): in compounds, initial /h/ of second element → [b]. Historical path: *p → [ɸ] → [h] → Rendaku [b].
fune (舟, boat)→amanobune [b]— Same Rendaku h→b pattern; h reflects historical *p (*pune > ɸune > hune).

Related Transformations

More Japonic Shifts

Sources & References

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