[m]→[d]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 2/5

Bilabial nasal to Voiced alveolar plosive

The shift from the bilabial nasal [m] to the alveolar stop [d] involves two articulatory changes: denasalization (raising the velum) and a shift in the place of articulation from the lips to the alveolar ridge. While rare as a direct historical law, it is a hallmark of certain language families undergoing systematic nasal-to-stop shifts.

Phonetic Effects

Denasalization, Fronting, Hardening

Language Examples

Puget Sound Salish (Lushootseed) Salishan

[m]→[b] / [d]— Historical denasalization where nasals became voiced stops; in some contexts, the place of articulation also shifted during systemic reorganization.

Child Phonology Universal

more [m]→[dɔːɹ]— Developmental substitution where the child replaces the nasal with a stop and shifts the articulation to the central alveolar position.

Related Transformations

Reverse

More Denasalization Shifts

[ã] → [e] — Raising [ẽ] → [i] — Denasalization [k] → [t] — Velar Fronting [n] → [t] — Epenthesis [ŋ] → [ɡʲ] — Denasalization

Sources & References

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