[l]→[u]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5

Alveolar lateral approximant to Close back rounded vowel

The vocalization of [l] to [u] is a form of L-vocalization where the lateral approximant shifts to a high back rounded vowel. This is a common historical development in Romance languages.

Phonetic Effects

L-vocalization

Language Examples

Portuguese Romance

sol [sɔɫ]→[sɔu]— Syllable-final /l/ vocalized to a high back glide/vowel in most dialects.

French (Historical) Romance

alba→aube— Latin 'alba' (white) > Old French 'albe' > Modern French 'aube' [ob] via [au] stage.

Related Transformations

Reverse Approximant realization

More Romance Shifts

[ã] → [õ] — Raising [a] → [ã] — Assimilatory Nasalization [a] → [∅] — Elision [a] → [ə] — Vowel Reduction [ai] → [e] — Monophthongization

Sources & References

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