[ɸ]→[∅]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5
Voiceless bilabial fricative to Empty sound / Zero
The shift from the voiceless bilabial fricative [ɸ] to zero [∅] is a form of elision (lenition). It often follows a debuccalization stage where the sound weakens into [h] before disappearing entirely.
Phonetic Effects
Elision, Lenition
Language Examples
historical *ɸ→∅— Complete loss of historical bilabial fricatives in several Pacific island varieties.
Related Transformations
More Elision Shifts
Sources & References
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