[p]→[c]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5
Voiceless bilabial plosive to Voiceless palatal plosive
Labial palatalization, the shift from a voiceless labial stop [p] to a voiceless palatal stop [c], is a cross-linguistically rarer process but well-documented in several language families. This typically occurs when a labial consonant is followed by a high front glide [j] or vowel [i], leading to the loss of labial articulation and the emergence of a palatal stop. This is found in Bantu languages and Southern Italian.
Phonetic Effects
Labial Palatalization, Fronting
Language Examples
Proto-Bantu *p-→[c]— Many Bantu languages exhibit palatalization of labials (e.g., in passive formations), where /p/ + /-w-/ shifts to [c].
più [pju]→chiù [cju]— The Latin cluster /pj/ often develops into a palatal stop, such as [c] (e.g., in Sicilian) or [tʃ] (e.g., in Neapolitan), in Southern Italian varieties.
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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