Timing patterns in a hybrid metrical system

Abstract

Duration is a cross-linguistically common correlate of metrical prominence, but it is also a well-known multi-purpose phonetic cue. The confounding impact of factors such as word length, segmental structure, phrasal stress, or boundary effects on the expression of word-level metrical prominence has been widely acknowledged in the phonetic literature. Yet, there are few studies which attempt to disentangle various factors affecting temporal patterns in a rigorous way. The present study investigates timing patterns in a hybrid (lexical-grammatical) metrical system of Ukrainian, in which increased duration signals both lexical (unpredictable) and rhythmic (predictable) stress. We perform extrinsic pairwise comparisons of vowels and consonants based on segmentally identical word pairs differing only in the location of stress (σˈσσˌσ/ˌσσˈσσ). This experimental design allows us to empirically distinguish between the effects of metrical prominence and lengthening at the word edges, simultaneously controlling for the potential confounding influence of polysyllabic shortening and intrinsic segmental length. The analysis of the data collected from 14 native speakers suggests that vocalic duration is a robust cue for lexical stress, whose domain extends to the pretonic syllable. Furthermore, a subtle increase in duration of the word-final vowel serves as a cue for rhythmic stress in Ukrainian.