Re: CHAT: Importance of stress

> From: dirk elzinga
>
>
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2000, The Gray Wizard wrote:
>
> > Well, the jury seems to be in.
> >
> > 1) VC-avoidance is a strong tendency if not a universal in natlang
> > syllabification.
> >
> > What then could account for the amman iar anomaly?
> >
> > 2) Syllabification is independent of morphological boundaries.
> >
> > What then could be the source of the high morpheme/syllable
> correlation in
> > amman iar?
>
> Let me take a stab at these two questions together, using the
> analysis of Gosiute Shoshoni found in my dissertation as an
> example of the same tendency (with a different outcome) from a
> natlang.
[snip fascinating discussion of Gosiute Shoshoni]

This is very, very interesting.  Its good to know that amman iar doesn't
stand completely alone in this.

> The preference for syllables to coincide with morpheme
> boundaries seems also to be operative in Amman Iar, but in that
> language, the resolution of the conflict is different. Rather
> than delete consonants which find themselves on the wrong side
> of the morpheme=syllable boundary, Amman Iar instead prefers to
> violate NoCoda; that is, the congruence of syllable and morpheme
> boundaries takes precedence over an unmarked syllable structure.
Dirk, do you mind if I borrow this analysis for my Reference Grammar?  Since
discovering that this language feature is so rare, I feel compelled to
explain it.

> I think this is rather cool, myself.
Me too.  I've always liked the rhythm of amman iar even before I realized
how rare it is.

Thanks for the analysis, and I look forward to any references you can come
up with.

David

David E. Bell
The Gray Wizard
dbell@graywizard.net
www.graywizard.net

en aran urren vorneth;
edhain ernordharel an engdarian orui minthille
en balan alanion ennonnar ascalennen ordhmarrion,
en cam alanion orimronniar na taurriar.
carilen alanion les geth, sarcil alanion galen deth
itair geceleb and meth na brand veth,
eni galen elennion tengelar ordirdhirar alanion,
an ithil entagon minthille o an anor encelmon.