Abstract
This paper presents both dictionary evidence and experimental evidence that the quality of a word's final vowel plays a role in assigning main stress in English. Specifically, a final [i] pushes main stress leftwards – three-syllable words ending with [i] have a strong tendency to take antepenultimate stress. This pattern is compared with the Latin Stress Rule for English, according to which words with heavy penultimate syllables should have penultimate stress. Both pressures are shown to be productive in experiments. Two analyses of the final-[i] generalisation are tested, one using the ‘cloned’ constraint Non-finFt[i], and one using the ‘parochial’ constraint Antepenult[i], which directly penalises [i]-final words which do not have antepenultimate stress. Although it is has less typological support, Antepenult[i] is argued for on the grounds that it correctly predicts participants' behaviour on words with both a heavy penult and a final [i], which are extremely rare in the lexicon.
Highlights
Whether a syllable of a word is stressed or not is typically governed either by its position in the word or by its weight
Both experiments in this paper were modelled on Guion et al (2003), in which the productivity of certain trends in the English stress system was tested by asking participants to pronounce novel English words
The results of Experiment 2 confirmed that participants have active knowledge of both the trend in the lexicon for heavy penults to be stressed, and the trend for [i]-final words to take antepenultimate stress
Summary
Whether a syllable of a word is stressed or not is typically governed either by its position in the word or by its weight. If patterns are weight-sensitive, heavy syllables may attract stress (Hayes 1980, 1995, Gordon 2004, Kager 2005, Goedemans & van der Hulst 2009 and many others). Both experiments in this paper were modelled on Guion et al (2003), in which the productivity of certain trends in the English stress system was tested by asking participants to pronounce novel English words. Guion et al solved this problem by presenting strings of individual syllables, each pronounced as a separate prosodic word, and asking participants to string the syllables together into a word.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call