ABSTRACT
Chapter 15 is a systematic treatment of assimilation. It starts with the assimilation of /n/ to /m/ and /ŋ/ before bilabials and velars respectively, including the assimilation of /n/ when it is syllabic. It continues with the assimilation of /d/ and /t/ to /b/ and /p/ before bilabials, and to /ɡ/ and /k/ before velars. The next sections deal with assimilation of /s/ to /ʃ/ and /z/ to /ʒ/, and coalescent assimilation of /t/ and /j/ to /ʧ/, and /d/ and /j/ to /ʤ/. There is also a brief section on variable coalescent assimilation of /s/ and /z/ + /j/. Sometimes there is a choice between assimilation or elision, which is discussed in another short section. Further, the chapter contains a section on the occurrence of multiple assimilations. Next are sections on the potential assimilation of /ð/and assimilation of /ən/ in words like happen, taken. The chapter concludes with short treatments of the possible simplification of fricative clusters and voicing in obstruent + obstruent clusters, and irregular assimilations and elisions.
