Stress in English words

Abstract

This study of Stress in English Words, the first half of which appeared in LINGUA, Volume VI, 3, seeks to demonstrate that the catergories of English word-stress, which are best determined by reference to the Rhythm Patterns of English words, exhibit a high degree of correlation with vowel quality and that their distributional relationships in words can be stated in terms of a few, relatively simple, general principles. In the first half of this study the general thesis was discussed (Chapters I, II and III) and the data, supporting this thesis, was given in respect of Pre-Tonic Rhythmic Stress Patterns (Chapter IV). In this concluding half the data in respect of Post-Tonic Rhythmic Stress Patterns are set forward (Chapter V), the status of each Rhythmic Stress Pattern is determined (Chapter VI) and the Distributional Relationships of Stress Categories, implicit in the data given in Chapters IV and V, are summarized (Chapter VII).