Re: OT: Justifying a stress pattern (plus OT: joke last name templates)

2007/12/31, Dirk Elzinga <dirk.elzinga@...>:

<snip much interesting notes on English stress>

>
> Syntax can play a role as well. We end stress the words thirTEEN and
> TennesSEE, but if they introduce a noun phrase, the stress shifts: THIRteen
> MEN, TENNessee VALLey. This is called the Rhythm Rule because its effect is
> to adjust the stresses to get a more regular alternation of stressed and
> stressless syllables.
>
I didn't realise that "Tennessee" was supposed to be stressed on the
final! Or, admittedly, that anyone would stress "thirteen" on only the
final either. Granted, I don't know the proper ways to pronounce many
American place names, much less their proper prosody, but I always
thought "thirteen" was either stressed initially, or on both
syllables.

Eugene

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