ASSIMILATION

Assimilation is a linguistic phenomenon where one sound becomes similar to an adjacent sound,
often to make pronunciation easier. It is a natural process in language evolution and speech
production, impacting both consonants and vowels.

Assimilation and Its Kinds

Assimilation can occur in several ways, depending on the features of the sounds involved and the
context in which they appear. It is typically classified based on direction, type, and degree:

Direction of Assimilation

 Progressive Assimilation: When a sound influences a following sound. The articulatory

features of the earlier sound (such as voicing, place, or manner of articulation) extend to
the following sound.

Examples:

 Plural Formation in English:

o cats /kæts/ (the /s/ is voiceless because it follows the voiceless /t/).
o dogs /dɒgz/ (the /z/ is voiced because it follows the voiced /g/).
 Past Tense Formation in English:
o walked /wɔːkt/ (the /t/ is voiceless because it follows the voiceless /k/).
o played /pleɪd/ (the /d/ is voiced because it follows the voiced /eɪ/).

Explanation:

Progressive assimilation is common in connected speech and occurs because maintaining the
features of the preceding sound requires less effort. It often impacts features like voicing and
place of articulation.

Regressive Assimilation: In regressive assimilation, a sound is influenced by a following

sound. The articulatory features of the later sound affect the earlier sound.

Examples:

 English Examples in Informal Speech:

o input → /ˈɪnpʊt/ → /ˈɪmpʊt/ (the /n/ changes to /m/ under the influence of the
bilabial /p/).
o handbag → /ˈhændbæɡ/ → /ˈhæmbæɡ/ (the /n/ changes to /m/ because of the
bilabial /b/).
 Loanwords in Italian:
o Latin ad+similare became Italian assimilare (the /d/ assimilated to /s/ due to the
following /s/).
Explanation:

 Regressive assimilation often happens in rapid or casual speech where anticipation of a

later sound causes changes to the earlier sound. It is more common in speech contexts
that prioritize fluency and speed.

Reciprocal Assimilation: n reciprocal assimilation, two adjacent sounds influence each other,
resulting in mutual changes. This type of assimilation is relatively rare in modern languages but
can be observed in historical and dialectal contexts.

Examples:

 Old English Changes:

o The Old English word clǣnsian (to cleanse) underwent reciprocal assimilation to
become cleanse /klɛnz/. The /n/ and /s/ influenced each other, changing their
features slightly.
o clǣnsian was pronounced approximately as /ˈklæːnsiɑn/ or /ˈklæːnzian/.
o The /n/ and /s/ appeared as adjacent consonants within the word, which is a
common environment for assimilation.

Key Differences and Functions

 Progressive Assimilation: Easier articulation by continuing features of the first sound to

the second.
 Regressive Assimilation: Anticipates upcoming sounds, changing earlier ones.
 Reciprocal Assimilation: Mutual influence, often leading to entirely new sounds or
forms.

These processes highlight the dynamic nature of speech, balancing efficiency and clarity in
communication.

Coalescent Assimilation is a phonological process in which two adjacent sounds merge to form
a single, new sound with characteristics from both original sounds. This often occurs in natural
speech when words are spoken quickly, and the boundaries between sounds become less distinct.

It typically happens when:

 A consonant at the end of one word interacts with a consonant at the beginning of the
next word.
 The result is a "fusion" that creates a new sound, often influenced by ease of articulation.

Example in English:

A common example of coalescent assimilation occurs in informal or rapid speech:

 "Did you" → /dɪd ju/ becomes /dɪdʒu/, where the /d/ from "did" and the /j/ from "you"
coalesce into the sound /dʒ/.
 "Would you" → /wʊd ju/ becomes /wʊdʒu/.

Characteristics:

 Place of articulation and manner of articulation of the two original sounds influence
the resulting sound.
 It is most commonly observed in palatalization processes (e.g., /t/ + /j/ → /ʧ/ or /d/ + /j/
→ /ʤ/).

Coalescent assimilation reflects the natural tendency in languages to optimize speech for fluidity
and efficiency.

Type of Assimilation

(a) Complete Assimilation

 Definition: A sound becomes identical to a neighboring sound, fully adopting its

features.
 Explanation: This results in a total replacement of the original sound with the
influencing sound.
 Example:
o Latin ad-similare → assimilare: The /d/ completely assimilates to /s/, resulting in
the doubling of /s/.
 Significance: Complete assimilation typically simplifies articulation and often involves
morphological processes like prefix integration.

(b) Partial Assimilation

 Definition: A sound adopts some features of a neighboring sound while retaining its
distinct identity.
 Explanation: This is a more limited process where the sound changes in one or two
features (e.g., voicing, place, or manner) but does not become identical to the adjacent
sound.
 Example:
o input → /ˈɪmpʊt/: The /n/ retains its nasality but changes to a bilabial /m/ under
the influence of the bilabial /p/.
o good boy → /ɡʊb bɔɪ/: The /d/ shifts to /b/ but retains its stop nature.
 Significance: Partial assimilation is common in natural speech, especially in fast or
casual communication, and preserves enough of the original sound for clarity.

Consonant Change in Assimilation

Assimilation affects consonants by altering their features to match neighboring sounds. This
change can occur in terms of place of articulation, manner of articulation, or voicing, often
making speech smoother and more efficient. Below is a detailed explanation of how each type of
consonant change works:

1. Place of Articulation

Place of articulation refers to where in the vocal tract a consonant is produced. In assimilation, a
consonant may change its place of articulation to align with the articulation of an adjacent sound.

(a) Labialization

 Definition: A non-labial sound (produced away from the lips) changes to a labial sound
(produced using the lips) when it occurs near a labial sound.
 Example:
o input → imput /ˈɪmpʊt/
 The alveolar nasal /n/ changes to the bilabial nasal /m/ because it precedes
the bilabial stop /p/.
 Explanation: Labialization occurs because moving from a bilabial /p/ to an alveolar /n/
requires extra effort. Adjusting the /n/ to a bilabial /m/ simplifies the transition, aligning
the place of articulation of both sounds.

(b) Alveolar to Velar

 Definition: An alveolar sound (produced with the tongue at the alveolar ridge) shifts to a
velar sound (produced with the back of the tongue against the velum) when it occurs near
a velar sound.
 Example:
o in+congruous → /ɪŋˈkɒŋgrʊəs/
 The alveolar nasal /n/ changes to the velar nasal /ŋ/ due to the influence of
the velar /k/ in congruous.
 Explanation: This change occurs because the velar /k/ requires the tongue to move
backward, and aligning the /n/ to a velar /ŋ/ creates a smoother transition.

2. Manner of Articulation

Manner of articulation refers to how airflow is modified by the vocal tract during consonant
production. Assimilation may cause a consonant to adopt the manner of articulation of an
adjacent sound.

(a) Stops Changing to Fricatives or Nasals

 Definition: Stop sounds (produced by completely blocking airflow) may change into
fricatives (produced by narrowing airflow) or nasals (produced with airflow through the
nose) to match neighboring sounds.
 Example:
o good boy → /ɡʊb bɔɪ/ (in rapid speech)
 The /d/ in good becomes /b/, matching the bilabial /b/ in boy.
 Explanation: Stops require complete closure of the vocal tract, but changing them to a
fricative or nasal in this context reduces articulatory effort, aligning their manner of
articulation with the neighboring sound.

3. Voicing

Voicing refers to whether the vocal cords vibrate during sound production. Assimilation may
cause a voiceless consonant to become voiced (or vice versa) under the influence of a
neighboring sound.

(a) Voicing of Voiceless Sounds

 Definition: A voiceless consonant becomes voiced when it occurs near voiced sounds.
 Example:
o have to → /hæftə/
 The /v/ in have is typically voiced, but in casual speech, it may become
voiceless under the influence of the voiceless /t/ in to.
 Explanation: In rapid speech, voicing changes often occur to match the voicing
properties of adjacent sounds, making transitions smoother.

(b) Voicing of Voiced Sounds

 Definition: Conversely, voiced sounds can lose their voicing to match voiceless
neighbors.
 Example:
o used to → /ˈjuːst tə/
 The /z/ in used becomes voiceless /s/ to match the voiceless /t/ in to.
 Explanation: Voicing changes in this direction often occur in rapid or casual speech,
prioritizing fluency over precise articulation.

Why Does Assimilation Happen?

Consonant changes in assimilation occur due to:

1. Ease of Articulation: Reducing the effort required to switch between sounds.

2. Fluency in Speech: Making transitions between sounds smoother, especially in rapid or
informal contexts.
3. Phonological Economy: Aligning features of neighboring sounds minimizes articulatory
complexity.

Conclusion

Changes in place of articulation, manner of articulation, and voicing during assimilation

illustrate the dynamic nature of speech production. These transformations reflect both physical
and cognitive efforts to optimize communication, leading to patterns that shape the evolution of
languages over