/ instituut voor de Nederlandse taal / Taalportaal
bibliography glossary about
  • Dutch
  • Frisian
  • Saterfrisian
  • Afrikaans
Show all
    Words with A-class vowels in open final syllables have penultimate primary stress
    quickinfo

    Many longer words have penultimate stress. Stress attraction to the penultimate syllable is particularly strong when the penultimate syllable is closed or contains a diphthong (though, according to the diphthong restriction, diphthongs in the final syllable are strong stress attractors as well). A preference for penultimate stress, however, can also be found in cases where both the penult and the final syllable are open and contain A-class vowels.

    readmore
    [+]Disyllabic words

    The preference for penultimate stress manifests itself most clearly in disyllabic words of the structure A-A (where penultimate stress amounts to stress on the first syllable). Examples are given in (1) below:

    1
    Penultimate primary stress in words of the structure A-A
    bruto ['bry.to:] gross
    goeroe ['ɡu:.ru] guru
    pizza ['pi.dza] pizza
    saga ['sa:.ɣa] saga
    extra

    The word goeroe guru has been transcribed as /'ɡu:.ru/, with the A-vowel [u:]; in this position, preceding /r/, however, the latter is realized as the centring diphthong [uə].

    There are also disyllabic words of the structure A-A with primary stress on the final syllable; see the examples in (2) below:

    2
    Final primary stress in words of the structure A-A
    klisjee [kli.'sje] cliché
    rosee [ro:.'se] rosé wine
    taboe [tab.'bu] taboo
    [+]Trisyllabic words

    In trisyllabic words of the structure A-A-A, their is a slight preference for penultimate stress over antepenultimate and final stress. Examples of all three stress patterns are given in (3)-(5) below:

    3
    Penultimate primary stress in words of structure A-A-A
    arena [ar.'re:.na] arena
    kasino [kas.'si.no:] casino
    opiny [o:.'pi.ni] opinion
    4
    Antepenultimate stress in words of structure A-A-A
    animo ['a:.ni.mo:] animo
    aliby ['a:.li.bi] alibi
    kolibry ['ko:.li.bri] hummingbird
    patina ['pa:.ti.na] patina
    fideo ['fi.di.jo:] video
    5
    Final primary stress in words of structure A-A-A
    kalory [kal.lo:.'ri] calory
    frikando [fri.kan.'do:] fricandeau
    teory [te:.jo:.'ri] theory
    parody [par.ro:.'di] parody
    [+]Quadrisyllabic words

    In quadrisyllabic words of the structure A-A-A-A, penultimate stress is not the most frequent pattern. In accordance with the Three Syllable Window, stress can only fall on one of the last three syllables of a word, hence the first syllable of A-A-A-A-words is not expected to bear stress. Examples of all three possible stress patterns are given in (6)-(8) below:

    6
    Antepenultimate primary stress in words of the structure A-A-A-A
    akasia [ak.'ka:.si.ja] Acacia
    alinea [al.'li.ni.ja] paragraph
    7
    Penultimate primary stress in words of the structure A-A-A-A
    avokado [av.vo:.'ka:.do:] avocado
    oregano [o:.re:.'ɡa:.no:] oregano
    ravioaly [rav.vi.'jo:.li] ravioli
    diorama [di.jo:.'ra:.ma] diorama
    extra

    The word oregano oregano has been transcribed as /o:.re:.'ɡa:.no:/, with the A-vowel [o:]; in this position, preceding /r/, however, the latter is mostly realized as the centring diphthong [oə]. In much the same vein, ravioaly ravioli has been transcribed as /rav.vi.'jo:.li/, with the A-vowel [o:]; the latter, however, is in a stressed position, where it is realized as the centring diphthong [oə], as is also clear from the spelling oa.

    8
    Final primary stress in words of the structure A-A-A-A
    anatomy /an.na:.to:.'mi/ anatomy
    anomaly [an.no:.ma:.'li] anomaly
    demokrasy [de:.mo:.kra:.'si] democracy
    demografy [de:.mo:.ɡra:.'fi] demography
    extra
    x

    Words like taboe /tab.'bu/ taboo, kasino /kas.'sino:/ casino and anatomy /an.na:.to:.'mi/ anatomy have a first syllable with the (short) B-vowel /a/ (see Long and short monophthongs: a different view). The shortness of the syllable ensuing from this, however, may be 'compensated for' by the ambisyllabicity of the consonant following the vowel (as indicated in the transcriptions), which renders such words in accordance with the structure A-A-(A-(A)).

    References
      About this article
      Author(s): Willem Visser, Joke Weening
      Category: Frisian Phonology
      Keywords: stressA-class vowelpenultimate
      Version: 1.0, December 2015
      Version history:
      version editor(s) date remarks
      1.0 Willem Visser, Joke Weening December 2015
      printreport errorcite
      Jump to:
      X