[m]→[v]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5

Bilabial nasal to Voiced labiodental fricative

The shift from the bilabial nasal [m] to the voiced labiodental fricative [v] is a hallmark of Celtic lenition. It involves the weakening of the bilabial nasal closure into a fricative constriction, eventually losing its nasality to become a voiced fricative.

Phonetic Effects

Lenition, Fricativization, Denasalization

Language Examples

Irish Celtic

Niamh [m]→[niːv]— The spelling 'mh' represents the historical lenited m.

Welsh Celtic

mab (son)→ei fab [v]— Soft mutation (treiglad meddal) shifts m to f [v].

Related Transformations

Reverse

More Lenition Shifts

[a] → [∅] — Elision [b] → [v] — Spirantization [tɕ] → [ʃ] — De-affrication [tɕ] → [ɕ] — Lenition [d] → [∅] — Elision

Sources & References

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