1.
rendaku; sequential voicing (in compounds)
The change of the first consonant of the second part of a compound from voiceless to voiced, as か→が in 手紙 (て + かみ → てがみ).
A linguistics term that learners meet as soon as they notice compounds such as 砂時計 (すな + とけい), 人々 and 本棚. The second element's first sound takes dakuten: か→が, さ→ざ, た→だ, は→ば.
Usage
- Lyman's Law: rendaku usually does not happen if the second part already contains a voiced consonant (一人旅, but 大風, not おおがぜ)
- Loanwords and most kango resist rendaku
- "A and B" compounds resist it: 山川 "mountains and rivers" vs 谷川 "a mountain stream"