[p]→[v]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 5/5
Voiceless bilabial plosive to Voiced labiodental fricative
The shift from [p] to [v] is a hallmark of Western Romance lenition. It involves a two-stage process where the voiceless stop first voices to [b] and then spirantizes into a voiced fricative, typically in intervocalic positions.
Phonetic Effects
Voicing, Spirantization, Lenition
Language Examples
sapa [pp→p]→savan [v]— Finnish consonant gradation: intervocalic /p/ → [v] in weak grade. E.g., 'lapa' (blade) → 'lavan' (GEN), 'tapa' (manner) → 'tavan'. The pattern pp→p→v is systematic.
sapōnem (Latin)→savon (French) / jabón [β] (Spanish)— Intervocalic lenition of the labial stop.
capra→chèvre (French) / cabra [β] (Spanish)
pauper (Latin)→poor (via French pauvre)— Doublet showing the results of French spirantization.
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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