<Li> IACET "he lies (on the ground)"> pre-French * / dʒjatsjet /> * / dʒjajtst /> OF gist> gît </Li> <P> During the Old French period, l before a consonant became u, producing new diphthongs, which eventually resolved into monophthongs, e.g. FALSAM "false"> fausse / fos / . See the article on phonological history of French for details . </P> <P> The sound changes involving consonants are less striking than those involving vowels . In some ways, French is actually relatively conservative . For example, it preserves initial pl -, fl -, cl -, unlike Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, e.g. PLOVĒRE "to rain"> pleuvoir (Spanish llover, Portuguese chover, Italian piovere). </P> <P> Consonants between vowels were subject to a process called lenition (a type of weakening). In French, this was more extensive than in Spanish, Portuguese or Italian . For example, / t / between vowels went through the following stages in French: / t /> / d /> / ð /> no sound, whereas in Spanish only the first two changes happened, in Brazilian Portuguese only the first change happened, and in Italian no changes happened . Compare VĪTAM "life"> vie with Italian vita, Portuguese vida, Spanish vida (biða). The following table shows the outcomes: </P>

Who is known as constructor of modern france