[y]→[ɛ]Certainty: 4/5Commonality: 4/5
Close front rounded vowel to Open-mid front unrounded vowel
The close front rounded vowel [y] can undergo a phonetic transformation to the open-mid front unrounded vowel [ɛ] through a process of unrounding and lowering. This shift is notably attested in the historical development of English, particularly within the Kentish dialect during the Middle English period.
Phonetic Effects
Unrounding, Lowering
Language Examples
/yː/→/ɛː/— The long close front rounded vowel in Old English, as in 'mȳs' (mice), was unrounded and lowered to a long open-mid front unrounded vowel in Kentish Middle English.
/y/→/ɛ/— The short close front rounded vowel in Old English, as in 'hyll' (hill), was unrounded and lowered to a short open-mid front unrounded vowel in the South-East (Kentish) Middle English.
Related Transformations
More Vowel Shift Shifts
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