[m]→[u]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5

Bilabial nasal to Close back rounded vowel

The shift from the bilabial nasal [m] to the high-back rounded vowel [u] is a form of vocalization. In syllable codas or intervocalic positions, the bilabial closure weakens into a labio-velar glide [w], which eventually merges into the vowel space as [u]. This is often associated with vowel nasalization.

Phonetic Effects

Vocalization, Nasalization

Language Examples

Portuguese Romance

manum [m] (Latin)→mão [ɐ̃w̃] / [u]— The final nasal vocalized into a labial glide/vowel, creating a nasal diphthong.

Related Transformations

Reverse

More Nasalization Shifts

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

Sources & References

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