[q]→[h]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 4/5
Voiceless uvular plosive to Voiceless glottal fricative
The shift from a voiceless uvular plosive ([q]) to a voiceless glottal fricative ([h]) is a documented phonetic transformation, primarily occurring through a process known as debuccalization. Debuccalization is a type of lenition where an oral consonant loses its primary place of articulation, retracting the stricture to the glottis. This results in a laryngeal consonant, such as a glottal fricative or glottal stop, and is characterized by a reduction in articulatory effort and the deletion of oral gestural targets while retaining laryngeal gestures.
Phonetic Effects
Lenition, Debuccalization, Weakening, Retraction of Place of Articulation, Reduction of Articulatory Effort
Related Transformations
More Lenition Shifts
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