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

[h]→[ʔ]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 3/5

Voiceless glottal fricative to Glottal stop

The transformation of the glottal fricative [h] into a glottal stop [ʔ] is a process of fortition or reinforcement. Instead of allowing air to flow through the glottis with friction, the vocal folds close completely. This can occur as a rhythmic reinforcement, especially in word-initial positions or under stress, and is sometimes a stage in the hardening of breathy vowels.

Phonetic Effects

Glottalization, Fortition, Reinforcement

Language Examples

he [h]→[ʔi]— Glottal reinforcement replacing initial aspiration in specific rhythmic contexts.
Proto-Mayan *h→[ʔ] (glottal stop)— Proto-Mayan *h has multiple reflexes across the family. In several positions and branches it hardened to glottal stop [ʔ], while in other contexts it became [w], [j], [x], or zero. The fortition to [ʔ] is documented in word-medial positions in several Mayan languages and is one pathway by which Mayan languages developed their richly contrastive glottal stop inventories.
*h (between vowels or before consonant)→ʔ— Attested in Yukatek and Chol dialects where inter-vocalic *h strengthened to ʔ. This process is related to the development of tone in Yukatek, where former vowel-length and *h/*ʔ contrasts merged into a high/falling tone distinction.

Related Transformations

More Germanic Shifts

Sources & References

Spotted a mistake or have a better example?

EchoDrift is community-driven. You can suggest a change directly through GitHub.

Propose an Edit on GitHub