Linguistics Encyclopedia.pdf

PHONOLOGICAL CHANGE
REGULARITY OF SOUND CHANGE
(For explanation of the phonetic terms in this and the following sections, see
ARTICULATORY PHONETICS.)
The sounds of a language are affected over the course of time by modifications that
tend to be regular and systematic in that the changes have a propensity to apply in the
same manner to all relevant environments. The reflexes of the Latin vowel [a], for
example, demonstrate this principle.
Latin [a] regularly became French [ε], as in the following words:
Latin French
marem mer [ ]
fabam fève [ ]
patrem père
labram lèvre
[ ]
This change of Latin [a] to French [ε] occurred when [a] was accented and free, that is, in
an open syllable, as in [má-rem].
The accented Latin vowel [a] in an open syllable, but followed by a nasal, resulted in
[ ]:
Latin French
manum main [ ]
planum plain
[ ]
panem pain [ ]
famen faim
[ ]
Cases where Latin [a] became French [a], while they may at first glance appear to have
been exceptions to the above rule, were in fact the result of another regular sound change
in which accented [a] behaved predictably in a closed environment, that is, in a closed
syllable or one blocked by a consonant, as in [pár-te], [vák-ká], etc. Compare:
Latin French
partem part
vaccam vache
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