The Universal Atlas of Phonetic Evolution
Back to Matrix [dʒ] → [ʎ] Edit this Data

[ʎ]→[dʒ]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5

Voiced palatal lateral approximant to Voiced postalveolar affricate

The voiced palatal lateral approximant /ʎ/ can undergo a historical phonetic transformation to the voiced postalveolar affricate /d͡ʒ/. This shift typically involves a process of fortition, where the approximant strengthens to an affricate, often passing through an intermediate fricative stage. It also entails delateralization and a slight backing of the place of articulation from palatal to postalveolar.

Phonetic Effects

Fortition, Affrication, Delateralization, Backing

Language Examples

/ʎ/→/d͡ʒ/— In some dialects of Spanish, the historical palatal lateral /ʎ/ (e.g., in words spelled with <ll>) has undergone fortition, often via an intermediate palatal fricative /ʝ/, to a postalveolar affricate /d͡ʒ/ or alveolo-palatal affricate /d͡ʑ/. This phenomenon is part of 'rehilamiento' in certain varieties, such as those found in parts of Latin America and Southern Spain.
folia→ˈfɔdd͡ʒa— In some Sardinian varieties, the Latin cluster /lj/ (which developed into a palatal lateral in many Romance languages) evolved into a geminate voiced postalveolar affricate.

Related Transformations

More Romance Shifts

Sources & References

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