[l]→[au]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5
Alveolar lateral approximant to Diphthong au
The phonetic transformation of the alveolar lateral approximant /l/ into the diphthong /au/ is a well-documented process of vocalization, where a consonant shifts to a vowel or semivowel. This typically occurs in syllable-coda positions, where the /l/ loses its alveolar articulation and becomes a back rounded vocoid, often a [u] or [w] sound, which then forms the second element of a diphthong with a preceding vowel.
Phonetic Effects
Vocalization, Diphthongization, Backing, Rounding
Language Examples
caldu(m)→chaud /tʃaut/— Latin 'caldu(m)' (warm) transformed into Old French 'chaud', where the /l/ vocalized to /u/, forming the diphthong /au/.
bellu(m)→beau /be̯au̯/— Latin 'bellu(m)' (beautiful) evolved into Old French 'beau', with the /l/ vocalizing to /u/ and forming part of the diphthong /e̯au̯/.
/mal/→/maw/— In many Brazilian Portuguese dialects, syllable-final /l/ vocalizes to a labial-velar approximant [w], forming a diphthong like /aw/ (e.g., 'mal' (bad) pronounced as /maw/).
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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