Some Ways of Dealing with Semi-vowels in Linguistic Replacement Books: An Analytic Study

Abstract

This study aims at exploring the rules that govern the process of phonic change in patterns that include semi-vowels in their phonological structure. Their patterns have been attributed to language change though they are not related to it. The reason behind this view is that linguistic scientists have looked at their final external forms.

The study has been divided into the following parts according to the nature of change: Dissimilation between homophones after distressing; transition from the bilabial semi-vowel (w) to an alveolar stop (t) in >ifta<ala form; the transition from the semi-vowel (y) to the glottal stop and vice versa; and the transition from bilabial semi-vowel (w) to glottal stop and vice versa.

The study concludes with a number of findings that have been reached according to the descriptive analytic approach.