6.7 Syllable Weight and Ambisyllabicity
6.7 Syllable Weight and Ambisyllabicit
(1) Syllable weight is an important factor in stress assignment in languages.
The weight of a syllable is determined by its rhyme structure. In
English,
a syllable is light if it has a non-branching rhyme(a short vowel and no coda
in its rhyme, as in the first syllable of around); it is heavy if it has a
branching rhyme(a short vowel followed by a coda (simple or complex),
or a long vowel or a diphthong with or without a following coda).
Rhyme of a light syllable Rhyme of a heavy syllable
short V: a.mong short V + coda: net, nest
long V / diph. + (coda): seed, sea, side
(a) σ (b) σ (c) σ (d) σ
O R O R O R O R
N C N C N N C
n
ɛ t n ɛ s t s i s aɪ d
(1) Syllable weight is an important factor in stress assignment in languages.
The weight of a syllable is determined by its rhyme structure. In
English,
a syllable is light if it has a non-branching rhyme(a short vowel and no cod
in its rhyme, as in the first syllable of around); it is heavy if it has a
branching rhyme(a short vowel followed by a coda (simple or complex),
or a long vowel or a diphthong with or without a following coda).
Rhyme of a light syllable Rhyme of a heavy syllable
short V: a.mong short V + coda: net, nest
long V / diph. + (coda): seed, sea, side
(a) σ (b) σ (c) σ (d) σ
O R O R O R O R
N C N C N N C
n
ɛ t n ɛ s t s i s aɪ d
(2) In English, heavy syllables attract stress. No stress syllable may be light.
In the following words, we have a conflict between the maximal onset
principle and stress.
medicine [mɛ.də.sən] federal
origin positive [pa.zə.tɪv]
happen [hæ.pən] Canada
finish river
funny punish
While the maximal onset principle dictates that the first syllables of each
of these words be light, the stress that falls on this very syllable contradicts
the principle that light syllables cannot receive stress.
(3) To solve the problem, we need to introduce the concept of ambisyllabicity;
The consonant in question is treated as behaving both as the coda of
the
preceding syllable and as the onset of the following syllable at the
same time.
(4) A consonant that is (part of) a permissible onset (cluster) is ambisyllabic if it
occurs immediately after a short vowel /ɪ, ɛ, æ, ʌ, ʊ, ɔ, a/ that forms the nucleus
of a stressed syllable.
‘happen’ [hæpən]
σ σ
O R O R
N C N C
h æ p ə n
↑
ambisyllabic consonant
This is a consequence of the tendency for a stressed rhyme to be
heavy.
♣ Answer the questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in Exercises on page 177-8.
- Show the syllable structures of these words and mark the ambisyllabic
consonants on the structures.
medicine federal
origin positive
happen Canada
finish river
funny punish
