[m]→[n]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 5/5

Bilabial nasal to Alveolar nasal

The shift from the bilabial nasal [m] to the alveolar nasal [n] is a common form of place assimilation, particularly in word-final positions. In monosyllabic words and inflectional endings, many languages prefer the more neutral alveolar point of articulation.

Phonetic Effects

Place Assimilation, Nasalization

Language Examples

Latin to Spanish/Italian Romance

quem (Latin)→quién (Spanish)— Monosyllabic final m shifted to n.

cum→con

Old High German to Middle High German Germanic

-um (dative plural)→-en— Inflectional m shifted to n in unstressed syllables.

Related Transformations

Inverse: Labial assimilation

More Nasalization Shifts

[ã] → [õ] — Raising [a] → [ã] — Assimilatory Nasalization [a] → [∅] — Elision [a] → [ʔ] — Glottalization [a] → [ə] — Vowel Reduction

Sources & References

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