Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives

This paper proposes a reanalysis of stress in Romanian nouns and adjectives. We will argue that an analysis in Strict CV Metrics produces a simple account of the stress facts of Romanian without arbitrarily dividing the lexicon into regular and irregular words. The result is a system, which, althou...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sofia Alexei, Shanti Ulfsbjorninn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 2022-04-01
Series:Isogloss
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/240
_version_ 1817985580607209472
author Sofia Alexei
Shanti Ulfsbjorninn
author_facet Sofia Alexei
Shanti Ulfsbjorninn
author_sort Sofia Alexei
collection DOAJ
description This paper proposes a reanalysis of stress in Romanian nouns and adjectives. We will argue that an analysis in Strict CV Metrics produces a simple account of the stress facts of Romanian without arbitrarily dividing the lexicon into regular and irregular words. The result is a system, which, although entirely lexically marked, always has accent falling within a determined metrical window; one that is not defined by syllables or feet, but CV syllabification. In this reanalysis, all forms share precisely the same conditions on stress. Moreover, the fact that the window is defined in CVs rather than syllables uniquely makes the correct prediction that nouns/adjectives of the shape CV́.CV.CVC are impossible. Previous accounts that split the lexicon into “regular” and “irregular” forms have no obvious way to exclude this particular shape, despite it being truly unattested in the language, unlike the stated “exceptional” patterns, all of which are attested. We further use the Strict CV metrical window to correctly predict a pattern of stress shift observed with the adjectival suffix -ik. The implications for diphthong structures in Romanian are also discussed.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T23:58:59Z
format Article
id doaj.art-0a4477ed28114b0291cc1d833396b3a7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2385-4138
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T23:58:59Z
publishDate 2022-04-01
publisher Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
record_format Article
series Isogloss
spelling doaj.art-0a4477ed28114b0291cc1d833396b3a72022-12-22T02:23:45ZengUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaIsogloss2385-41382022-04-018110.5565/rev/isogloss.240Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives Sofia AlexeiShanti Ulfsbjorninn This paper proposes a reanalysis of stress in Romanian nouns and adjectives. We will argue that an analysis in Strict CV Metrics produces a simple account of the stress facts of Romanian without arbitrarily dividing the lexicon into regular and irregular words. The result is a system, which, although entirely lexically marked, always has accent falling within a determined metrical window; one that is not defined by syllables or feet, but CV syllabification. In this reanalysis, all forms share precisely the same conditions on stress. Moreover, the fact that the window is defined in CVs rather than syllables uniquely makes the correct prediction that nouns/adjectives of the shape CV́.CV.CVC are impossible. Previous accounts that split the lexicon into “regular” and “irregular” forms have no obvious way to exclude this particular shape, despite it being truly unattested in the language, unlike the stated “exceptional” patterns, all of which are attested. We further use the Strict CV metrical window to correctly predict a pattern of stress shift observed with the adjectival suffix -ik. The implications for diphthong structures in Romanian are also discussed. https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/240StressRomanianMetrical windowStrict CVStress ShiftDiphthongs
spellingShingle Sofia Alexei
Shanti Ulfsbjorninn
Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives
Isogloss
Stress
Romanian
Metrical window
Strict CV
Stress Shift
Diphthongs
title Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives
title_full Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives
title_fullStr Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives
title_full_unstemmed Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives
title_short Metrical exceptionality and stress shift in Romanian nouns and adjectives
title_sort metrical exceptionality and stress shift in romanian nouns and adjectives
topic Stress
Romanian
Metrical window
Strict CV
Stress Shift
Diphthongs
url https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/240
work_keys_str_mv AT sofiaalexei metricalexceptionalityandstressshiftinromaniannounsandadjectives
AT shantiulfsbjorninn metricalexceptionalityandstressshiftinromaniannounsandadjectives