plalike

Plalike refers to a specific phonetic phenomenon observed in certain languages, particularly in some Austronesian languages. It describes a type of consonant assimilation where a velar consonant, such as /k/ or /g/, preceding a palatal vowel, like /i/ or /e/, undergoes a change to a palatal or alveolo-palatal consonant. This change typically results in a sound like [tʃ] (the "ch" sound in "church") or [ts] (the "ts" sound in "cats").

The process can be seen as a form of coarticulation, where the articulation of one sound influences the articulation of an adjacent sound. In this case, the tongue position for the palatal vowel influences the tongue position for the preceding velar consonant, causing it to shift forward. For example, a word that might have a [ka] sound in one dialect or related language could manifest as a [tʃa] or [tsa] sound in a language exhibiting plalike.

This linguistic feature is important for understanding the historical development and relationships between languages. By tracing the presence or absence of plalike, linguists can reconstruct earlier sound systems and identify migration patterns or language contact. It's a subtle but significant marker that helps differentiate and classify languages within families. The term itself is derived from "plai," which is often a root word in languages where this phenomenon occurs.