Consonants B, D, G

There is (particularly) written evidence for fortition (following /h/ loss) of the onset of OE  to [j], [dj] and especially   in BC <yed> head, <d’yed> dead; Bm/BC <jed> dead; BC <jeth> death. Chinn and Thorne (2001: 106) claim that such forms are today found mainly in BC, but were formerly also widely found in Bm.

There is written evidence for excrescent [d] following /n/ in Bm <aprond/appund/haprond> apron (from ME naperon), <gownd/ geawnd> gown (from ME goune), <saucepan> saucepan (from ME sauce + OE panne), <drownded> drowned (from (Northern)ME drun(e), droun(e)). But note the legitimate presence of [d] in <lawnd> lawn (from ME laund(e) ‘glade’, ultimately from Celtic), <riband> ribbon (ribbon = variant of riband from ME riband).

There is written evidence for [ð]  rather than /d/ in Bm/BC <blather> bladder (compare OE  but Old Norse ) and BC <lather> ladder. A change of /d/ to /ð/ before /r/ is attested for local ME dialects by Kristensson (1987: 213).

There is written evidence for affrication before a high front segment in Bm <tagious> tedious (probably ).

There is some written evidence for final devoicing in Bm <fount> found, <olt>hold. According to Brook (1972: 69), one of the defining characteristics of the Middle English WM dialect was word-final devoicing of /b d g/ following liquids or nasals, as well as of /d/ in final position in unstressed syllables (e.g. hadet ‘beheaded’).