[ʃ]→[i]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5
Voiceless postalveolar fricative to Close front unrounded vowel
The shift from the postalveolar fricative [ʃ] to the high-front vowel [i] (or palatal glide [j]) is a form of vocalization. Because the articulation of [ʃ] involves the tongue blade and front body being raised toward the palate, it is phonetically adjacent to the high front vowel [i]. When friction is lost, the vocalic quality remains.
Phonetic Effects
Vocalization, Diphthongization, Palatalization
Language Examples
caixa [ʃ]→[ˈkajʃɐ]— Vocalization of part of the sibilant's duration into a palatal glide, creating a diphthong.
niht [ç/ʃ]→night [i/j]— The palatal/postalveolar fricative vocalized into the high front element of the modern English diphthong [aɪ].
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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