verb
- to change (a sound) into a palatal sound or to pronounce with a palatal quality
Usage: linguistics; British spelling (American: palatalize)
Examples
- In some languages, velar consonants palatalise before front vowels.
- The linguist explained how the /k/ sound palatalises when followed by /i/.
- Historical sound changes caused the consonant to palatalise over centuries.
- Speakers of the dialect tend to palatalise certain consonants in casual speech.