Lenition

The lenition (or softening ) is a consonant shift which consists of a weakening of the consonants, namely the passage of a series known as " forte" ( fortis ) with a series known as " douce" ( lenis ). This weakening can occur in Diachronie (for example evolution of occlusive brittonic towards the constrictive ones in modern Welsh) or in Synchronie: lenition occurs systematically in Breton or Finnois (consonant Alternance, Finnish Astevaihtelu).

Diversity of the phenomenon of lenition: some illustrations

Lenition appears variable manners, according to the hierarchy (of the degree most extremely to weakest): not voiced consonant > voiced; geminated consonant (double) > simple; occlusive > affricate consonant > constrictive > sounding > semivowel.

It intervenes in various positions:

(A) between vowels (intervocalic position)

It is the most frequent case, illustrated by the examples given higher (other examples, cf the article Consonant shift.

(b) into initial absolute in front of vowel

Softening of occlusive tended in certain speeches Bavarian: Pech > Bech “bad luck”, Tag > Dåg “day”, Knecht > Gnecht “servant”.

Corsican presents an intermediate case between (A) and (b) and opposes the lenition of the initial consonants after dull vowel, with the phenomenon reverses (" fortition") after tonic vowels:

  • 'ppani “three breads”/'banɛ “bread”

(c) front consonant

Such is the spirantisation of occlusive sound in a series of words of spoken Russian: когда “when”, translit. kogda , transcription: .

(d) in final position

Spirantisation of the final gutturale Hebrew מלך melex “king”, to compare with מלכה malka “queen”

Ultimate stage of lenition: fall of the consonant

In diachrony, lenition is often a stage leading to the pure and simple disappearance of the consonant. Thus is explained the final - ée , - E of the French past participles:

  • Latin portata > former French carried (D) E ( D present in many modern Romance languages) > French modern carried .

Cf also the realization attends Russian word above: .

References

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