Editing Lenition (section)

==Consonant gradation==
{{main|Consonant gradation}}
The phenomenon of consonant gradation in [[Finnic languages]] is also a form of lenition.

An example with [[geminate]] consonants comes from [[Finnish language|Finnish]], where geminates become simple consonants while retaining voicing or voicelessness (e.g. {{lang|fi|katto}} → {{lang|fi|katon}}, {{lang|fi|dubbaan}} → {{lang|fi|dubata}}). It is also possible for entire consonant clusters to undergo lenition, as in [[Votic language|Votic]], where voiceless clusters become voiced, e.g. {{lang|vot|itke-}} "to cry" → {{lang|vot|idgön}}.

If a language has no obstruents other than voiceless stops, other sounds are encountered, as in Finnish, where the lenited grade is represented by [[chroneme]]s, [[approximant]]s, [[flap consonant|tap]]s or even [[trill consonant|trills]]. For example, Finnish used to have a complete set of spirantization reflexes for {{IPA|/p t k/}}, though these have been lost in favour of similar-sounding phonemes. In the [[South Ostrobothnian dialect|Southern Ostrobothnian]], [[Tavastian dialects|Tavastian]] and [[Southwest Finnish dialects|southwestern]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sokl.uef.fi/aineistot/aidinkieli/murteet/d-vastin.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008052514/sokl.uef.fi/aineistot/aidinkieli/murteet/d-vastin.html |archive-date=2021-10-08  | title=Yleiskielen d:n murrevastineet }}</ref> dialects of Finnish, {{IPA|/ð/}} mostly changed into {{IPA|/r/}}, thus the dialects have a synchronic lenition of an alveolar stop into an alveolar trill {{IPA|/t/ → /r/}}. Furthermore, the same phoneme {{IPA|/t/}} undergoes [[assibilation]] {{IPA|/t/}} → {{IPA|/s/}} before the vowel {{IPA|/i/}}, e.g. root {{lang|fi|vete-}} "water" → {{lang|fi|vesi}} and {{lang|fi|vere-}}. Here, {{lang|fi|vete-}} is the stem, {{lang|fi|vesi}} is its nominative, and {{lang|fi|vere-}} is the same stem under consonant gradation.