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

[k]→[h]Certainty: 3/5Commonality: 5/5

Voiceless velar plosive to Voiceless glottal fricative

The transformation of the voiceless velar plosive /k/ into the voiceless glottal fricative /h/ is a well-attested phonetic shift, primarily recognized as a significant part of Grimm's Law in the development of Germanic languages. This process, known as lenition or debuccalization, involves the weakening of the articulation from a stop made at the velum to a fricative produced in the glottis.

Phonetic Effects

Lenition, Debuccalization, Spirantization, Fricativization

Language Examples

*k→h— As part of Grimm's Law, Proto-Indo-European voiceless velar stops (*k) became voiceless velar fricatives (*x) in Proto-Germanic, which subsequently often lenited to [h], especially in initial positions.
/x/→/h/— The Old English phoneme /x/ (derived from Proto-Germanic *x, which in turn came from PIE *k) was realized as [h] in initial positions and later became a distinct phoneme in Middle English. For example, PIE *kerd- became Old English 'heorte' and Modern English 'heart'.
k→h— Cognates demonstrating the shift from Proto-Indo-European *k to Germanic /h/ (via *x), as seen in words like Latin 'cornu' vs. English 'horn', Latin 'caput' vs. English 'head', and Latin 'centum' vs. English 'hundred'.
/k/→[h]— A phonological process in Finnish turns /k/ into [h] before a coronal stop (/t/, /d/). This is a dissimilatory process.
/k/→[h]— In some Italian dialects, such as the Gorgia Toscana, intervocalic /k/ undergoes fricativization to [h].
*k→h— Lenition of *k to h occurred in pre-Jurchen.

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