Gigátlás

Gigátlás is a term used in Hungarian linguistics to describe a specific type of sound change that affects voiced plosive consonants. It refers to the historical process where a voiced plosive at the beginning of a word became unvoiced. This phenomenon is particularly notable in the development of the Hungarian language.

The most common examples of gigátlás involve the historical transformation of /g/ to /k/ and /b/ to /p/ at the start of words. For instance, words that originally began with a /g/ sound might now start with a /k/ sound in modern Hungarian, and similarly, original /b/ sounds might have evolved into /p/. This change is considered a part of the broader sound shifts that shaped the Hungarian lexicon over centuries.

Gigátlás is not a random process; it typically occurs under specific phonetic conditions. While the exact triggers are debated among linguists, it is often associated with the influence of surrounding sounds or the natural tendency for certain sounds to become less emphasized or altered over time in spoken language. The study of gigátlás helps scholars understand the historical phonology of Hungarian and its relationship to other Finno-Ugric languages. It is a key concept for anyone studying Hungarian etymology or historical linguistics.