The Universal Atlas of Phonetic Evolution
Back to Matrix [∅] → [ɲ] Edit this Data

[ɲ]→[∅]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 2/5

Palatal nasal to Empty sound / Zero

The historical loss of the palatal nasal /ɲ/ to a zero sound is a documented phonetic transformation, particularly observed in the development of certain Romance languages.

Phonetic Effects

Deletion, Denasalization, Lenition

Language Examples

vinia→vie— The Latin sequence /nj/ typically palatalized to /ɲ/ in early Romance, which subsequently deleted in Romanian.

Related Transformations

More Romance Shifts

Sources & References

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