Liaison

In French, liaison is a type of external sandhi (a modification of pronunciation caused by neighboring words). It is a method of euphonic resolution of hiatus (like elision) that consists of inserting a consonant between a word that ends in a vowel and a word that starts with one. In other words, it refers to the fact that a final consonant, normally silent in a word taken on its own, is pronounced when the following word starts with a vowel. It is a form of paragoge, hence of metaplasm.

Related Topics:
French - External sandhi - Euphonic - Hiatus - Elision - Vowel - Paragoge - Metaplasm

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Unlike an ephelcystic consonant (like the /t/ in donne-t-il), the consonant in liaison is tied to the history of the language: it is a final consonant that is normally suppressed but that continues to be pronounced before an initial vowel.

Related Topics:
Ephelcystic consonant - History

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