Back to Matrix [tʃ] → [t] Edit this Data

[t]→[tʃ]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 5/5

Phonology Consonants Palatalization Mayan Japonic

Voiceless alveolar plosive to Voiceless postalveolar affricate

Palatalization of the voiceless dental/alveolar stop /t/ to the voiceless postalveolar affricate [tʃ] is a common phonetic process. This typically occurs before high front vowels like /i/, where the tongue body raises towards the palate.

Phonetic Effects

Palatalization

Language Examples

Japanese Japonic

/t/→[tʃ]— Occurs before /i/ (e.g., /ti/ becomes [tʃi]).

Mamean languages (Proto-Mayan) Mayan

Proto-Mayan *t→[tʃ]— In the Mamean branch chain shift, Proto-Mayan *[t] shifted to [tʃ], displacing the original *[tʃ] which moved further to the retroflex [ʈʂ]. This change affected Mam, Tectitec, Awakatec, and Ixil. The shift is part of a cascade: *r > t, *t > tʃ, *tʃ > ʈʂ, *ʃ > ʂ.

Related Transformations

Depalatalization

More Palatalization Shifts

[b] → [bʲ] — Palatalization [b] → [p] — Voice Loss [dʲ] → [dʒ] — Affrication [d] → [dʲ] — Palatalization [d] → [dʒ] — Palatalization

Sources & References

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