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Re: Offensive stress (was: those irregular prepositions)

From:Eldin Raigmore <eldin_raigmore@...>
Date:Friday, June 23, 2006, 15:35
--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Eugene Oh <un.doing@...> wrote:
>On 6/23/06, Eldin Raigmore <eldin_raigmore@...> wrote: >>Actually I think it's a spreading of the idea that the verb has the >>accent on the last (or at least the later) syllable, while the noun >>has it on the first (or at least the earlier) syllable. >>OFFense is the noun, ofFEND is the verb >>(I know it really has only one F.) >>DEfense is the noun, deFEND is the verb >> > >Really? That's quite interesting, I've always (and so has everyone >around me) said ofFENCE and deFENCE,
I also hear ofFENCE and deFENCE more often than OFFense and DEfense; but definitely not from "_everyone_ around me". I have even heard both forms from the same speaker! an ofFENSE is a particular offending action; the OFFense is the complete strategy, or complete subunit of the team or military unit, for taking the offensive. an ofFENSE is a particular argument defending something; the DEfense is the complete strategy, or complete team of attorneys, for taking the defensive.
>because the noun and verb forms were different;
Yes, offend and offense, and defend and defense, do not have exactly the same sequence of segments. Therefore varying a supra-segmental feature such as stress is not _necessary_ to distinguishing the verb from the noun. But languages often _require_ speakers to do things that aren't "necessary". My point was, the spreading of this pattern to two pairs where it wasn't strictly necessary, is a better explanation, than just "lack of education". (Actually almost linguistic phenomenon is poorly explained by the bare "lack of education"; even where lack of education is part of it, more explanation is required.)
>reCORD and REcord are distinguished by stress, though.
Right.
>Eugene
Thanks, Eugene. ----- eldin