Difference between revisions of "Heavy syllable"
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| − | A '''heavy syllable''' is a [[syllable]] | + | A '''heavy syllable''' is a [[syllable]] whose [[syllable weight|weight]] is more than one [[mora]]. A heavy syllable contains either a long vowel or a [[coda]] consonant. (The latter case is called a [[closed syllable]].) The English words ''eye'' [aɪ] and ''cat'' [kat] exemplify the two types of heavy syllable. A syllable shorter than a heavy syllable is called a [[light syllable]]. |
Sometimes a syllable which is longer than two moras is called a [[superheavy syllable]]. Such a syllable contains either a long vowel ''and'' a coda consonant, or a short vowel and two coda consonants. | Sometimes a syllable which is longer than two moras is called a [[superheavy syllable]]. Such a syllable contains either a long vowel ''and'' a coda consonant, or a short vowel and two coda consonants. | ||
In some languages (e.g., in English), word-final consonants do not contribute to syllable weight. The last syllable of the verb ''develop'' behaves as if light (although it is a closed syllable). This phenomenon is standardly explained by claiming that the word-final consonant is [[extrametricality|extrametrical]]. | In some languages (e.g., in English), word-final consonants do not contribute to syllable weight. The last syllable of the verb ''develop'' behaves as if light (although it is a closed syllable). This phenomenon is standardly explained by claiming that the word-final consonant is [[extrametricality|extrametrical]]. | ||
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| + | In some languages (e.g., in Ancient Greek, Khalkha Mongolian), only syllables with a long vowel are heavy, closed syllables with a short vowel are not. There even are a few languages (Lithuanian and Kwakwala), where syllables with a long vowel are heavy, but of closed syllables only those with a sonorant consonant in coda position count as heavy, those with an obstruent coda are light. | ||
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| + | ===References=== | ||
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| + | * Boas, Franz (1947) ''Kwakiutl grammar with a glossary of the suffixes,'' Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. New Series, Vol. 37, Part 3. | ||
| + | * Zec, Draga (1995) Sonority constraints on syllable structure, ''Phonology'' 12:85–129. | ||
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| + | ===Other languages=== | ||
| + | German [[schwere Silbe]] | ||
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| + | {{dc}} | ||
| + | [[Category:Phonetics and phonology]] | ||
Latest revision as of 22:20, 24 October 2007
A heavy syllable is a syllable whose weight is more than one mora. A heavy syllable contains either a long vowel or a coda consonant. (The latter case is called a closed syllable.) The English words eye [aɪ] and cat [kat] exemplify the two types of heavy syllable. A syllable shorter than a heavy syllable is called a light syllable.
Sometimes a syllable which is longer than two moras is called a superheavy syllable. Such a syllable contains either a long vowel and a coda consonant, or a short vowel and two coda consonants.
In some languages (e.g., in English), word-final consonants do not contribute to syllable weight. The last syllable of the verb develop behaves as if light (although it is a closed syllable). This phenomenon is standardly explained by claiming that the word-final consonant is extrametrical.
In some languages (e.g., in Ancient Greek, Khalkha Mongolian), only syllables with a long vowel are heavy, closed syllables with a short vowel are not. There even are a few languages (Lithuanian and Kwakwala), where syllables with a long vowel are heavy, but of closed syllables only those with a sonorant consonant in coda position count as heavy, those with an obstruent coda are light.
References
- Boas, Franz (1947) Kwakiutl grammar with a glossary of the suffixes, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. New Series, Vol. 37, Part 3.
- Zec, Draga (1995) Sonority constraints on syllable structure, Phonology 12:85–129.
Other languages
German schwere Silbe
