i-onbin; euphonic change to 'i'
Technical term in Japanese linguistics referring to the historical sound change where certain morae (ki, gi, shi, ri) become 'i' in specific grammatical contexts, such as verb conjugations.
The change from 'kakite' to 'kaite' is an example of i-onbin.
Euphonic change resulting in 'u', common in Western Japanese dialects.
Compound of イ (i) + 音便 (onbin, 'euphonic change'). The term describes a specific type of sound shift in Japanese historical phonology.