[ʃ]→[j]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 1/5
Voiceless postalveolar fricative to Voiced palatal approximant
The shift from the voiceless postalveolar fricative [ʃ] (sh) to the palatal approximant [j] is a process of gliding or lenition. This weakening occurs when the turbulent airflow of the fricative is smoothed into a sonorous glide, typically passing through an intermediate palatal fricative [ç] stage.
Phonetic Effects
Gliding, Lenition
Language Examples
historical /ʃ/→[j]— In some Gulf or Levantine dialects, sibilant fricatives can weaken toward palatal glides in specific phonetic environments.
/ʃ/ (coda)→[j]— In some varieties, the coda sibilant [ʃ] can reduce to a light palatal glide before certain consonants.
Related Transformations
More Semitic Shifts
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