Palatalization is when the flat of the tongue gets close to the roof of the mouth (palate). Since the い sound is pronounced more clearly in Kansai-ben than it is in standard Japanese, it affects the consonant right before い (causing palatalization). Below are some examples of palatalization in Kansai-ben, with their standard counterparts for comparison.
Sound | Word | Standard | Kansai-ben |
---|---|---|---|
し | 四 (し) |
し |
しぃ |
ち | 血 (ち) |
ち |
ちぃ |
に | 何 (なに) |
なに |
なにぃ |
み | 紙 (かみ) |
かみ |
かみぃ |