When you hear the movie name, sometimes ye hear avatar (not the indian version), but anglicized version: ['ævəˌtʰɑːr]; yet other times, I have heard as abatar ['æβəˌtʰɑːr].
I thought I was stupid to hear it as abatar, but I am not. Jimmy Kimmel presented a comedic version of avatar as abatar.
Yes, this is due to lenition (weakenin' of a consonant). Here, /v/ is not becoming /b/, but a smoother/lighter than that sound, which is a fricative [β].
This phenomenon can be seen in other places:
Recall the ad that comes on KGO 810 AM: Dr. Scott Hyver. Sometimes, it is heard as hyber; other times, hyver. [ˈhaɪvər] or ['haɪβər]
Another ad about Bev Mo!, a liquor chain in california. It is heard with b version.
[ˈbɛv ˌmoʊ] or [ˈbɛβ ˌmoʊ]
IPA editor: http://www.lfsag.unito.it/ipa/editor_en.html
Synchronic processes.
But diachronic processes across lingos: amithav vs amithab
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