[n]→[m]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 5/5
Alveolar nasal to Bilabial nasal
The shift from the alveolar nasal [n] to the bilabial nasal [m] is a classic example of regressive assimilation. It occurs when the nasal sound adopts the bilabial place of articulation of a following sound, such as [p] or [b].
Phonetic Effects
Place Assimilation, Nasalization
Language Examples
anbar [n] (warehouse)→ambar [m]— Regressive nasal assimilation before bilabial: /n/ → [m] before /b/. Common in Turkish loanword adaptation.
in- + ponere→imponere— Prefix assimilation before labial stops.
in- + mortalis→immortalis
handbag [ndb]→[ˈhæmbæɡ]— Synchronic assimilation in rapid speech.
hemp (OE hænep)→hemp— Historical assimilation of the nasal.
Related Transformations
More Nasalization Shifts
Sources & References
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