[ɾ]→[ʁ]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 5/5
Voiced alveolar flap to Voiced uvular fricative
The transformation from an alveolar flap to a voiced uvular fricative is a process of uvularization, often referred to as the 'guttural R' shift, where the place of articulation for rhotics moves from the front to the back of the vocal tract.
Phonetic Effects
Uvularization, Backing, Lenition
Language Examples
r [historical alveolar]→ʁ— The historical alveolar trill or flap shifted to a uvular fricative or trill starting in 17th-century Paris.
r [historical alveolar]→ʁ— Standard German shifted from an alveolar trill to a uvular realization in most dialects.
r [strong R]→ʁ/χ— The strong R (word-initial or double rr) has shifted to uvular or glottal positions in many urban dialects.
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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