[ʃ]→[y]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 1/5
Voiceless postalveolar fricative to Close front rounded vowel
The shift from the postalveolar fricative [ʃ] to the high-front rounded vowel [y] is a form of vocalization. It occurs through the loss of friction while maintaining the high, slightly rounded tongue position. This shift is typically documented in specific Romance dialects or as an allophonic variant in rounded environments.
Phonetic Effects
Vocalization, Lenition, Palatalization
Language Examples
historical *-sc- [ʃ]→[y] / [i]— In some Valdotain dialects, historical sibilants in clusters vocalized entirely into high vowels.
/ɧ/ (often [ʃ])→[ɧᶣ] (vocalic-like)— In some Swedish dialects, the postalveolar fricative is so heavily labialized and open that it functions phonetically as a rounded vocoid.
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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