[s]→[tʃ]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 2/5
Voiceless alveolar fricative to Voiceless postalveolar affricate
The shift from the alveolar fricative [s] to the postalveolar affricate [tʃ] is a form of palatalization and affrication. It typically occurs in rapid speech through yod-coalescence, where a word-final sibilant merges with a word-initial palatal glide [j] to create a complex affricate.
Phonetic Effects
Palatalization, Affrication, Yod-coalescence
Language Examples
this year [sj]→[ðɪtʃɪə] (thi-cheer)— In rapid or informal speech, the [s] and [j] coalesce into a postalveolar affricate.
bless you→[blɛtʃu]
historical [s] + [i/j]→[ʃ] / [tʃ]— Widespread palatalization of dental sibilants before front vowels resulted in postalveolar sounds.
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
Sources & References
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