[ʁ]→[h]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5
Voiced uvular fricative to Voiceless glottal fricative
The debuccalization of the voiced uvular fricative [ʁ] into the glottal fricative [h] is a common form of weakening, particularly prominent in Brazilian Portuguese and various French-based creoles.
Phonetic Effects
Debuccalization, Lenition, Weakening
Language Examples
Historical trill [r] or uvular [ʁ]→[h/x/χ]— Widespread shift where the rhotic is realized as a glottal or back fricative in most dialects.
French [ʁ]→[h]— The 'guttural R' inherited from French is frequently realized as a soft glottal fricative.
Historical [χ/ʁ]→[h]— Systemic weakening of back dorsal fricatives into the glottal fricative (e.g., PIE *k > PGmc *x > English h).
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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