Back to Matrix [ts] → [s] Edit this Data

[s]→[ts]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 3/5

Affrication Fortition Sinitic Strengthening

Voiceless alveolar fricative to Voiceless alveolar affricate

Affrication of alveolar fricative [s] to affricate [ts] represents a fortition process commonly triggered by word-initial position or post-nasal strengthening. This shift is well-documented in Old Chinese historical phonology, where fricatives strengthened to affricates before high vowels, contributing to the modern Mandarin sibilant inventory.

Phonetic Effects

Affrication, Fortition, Strengthening

Language Examples

Old Chinese to Middle Chinese Sinitic

Old Chinese *s-→Middle Chinese ts- (aspirated or unaspirated)— Fricative strengthening to affricate in word-initial position before high vowels [i], creating the modern Mandarin ts (z) and tsh (c) distinction

Old Chinese *sun→Middle Chinese *tsuən— Affrication of *s- before high vowel, leading to modern Mandarin cūn /tsʰwən/

Mandarin Chinese (synchronic strengthening) Sinitic

[s] post-nasal in casual speech→[ts] (affricated variant)— Modern Mandarin shows optional strengthening of word-initial or post-nasal [s] to [ts] in rapid speech

Related Transformations

Reverse Parallel affrication of voiced sibilant

More Affrication Shifts

[dʲ] → [dʒ] — Affrication [d] → [dʒ] — Palatalization [d] → [dʑ] — Palatalization [d] → [t] — Voice Loss [dz] → [l] — Deaffrication

Sources & References

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