8/10/2019 The Romance Languages.doc

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Ti Alkire, Carol Rosen: Romance Languages: A Historical Introduction.

1. THEEVOLUTIONOFSTRESSEDVOWELS

1.1. Syllables and word stress in Latin

1.1.1. Why word stress atters

Stress position in a Latin word (etyon) as a crucial e!!ect on its Romance outcomes (re!le"es).

Latin "nglis Italian Spanis #renc

de$ere to owe do%ere de$er de%oir a$ere to a%e a%ere a$er a%oir %endere to sell %endere %ender %endreprendere to take prendere prender prendreperdere to lose perdere perder perdre

Te Latin in!initi%es re!lect two di!!erent classes: arhi#otoni$ (stressed o!! te root: debere, habere) and rhi#otoni$(stressed on te root: vendere, prendere, perdere). Italian preser%es te original contrast in stress pattern. Spanis asneutrali&ed te contrast in !a%or o! ari&otonic in!initi%es. #renc, owe%er, sows te drastic conse'uences o! tedi!!erence in stress. Te stressed %owel in te ari&otonic in!initi%es gi%es oi *wa*, and te ri&otonic in!initi%es loosete unstressed %owel. Tere!ore it is necessar+ to understand te Latin stress rule: te %en&ltiate r&le. To understandit we need to consider tree concepts: %owel 'uantiti+, s+lla$le $oundaries, and s+lla$le lengt.

1.1.'. Latin (owels

Latin as !i%e %owels arranged in te usual triangle, wit !ront$ack contrast neutrali&ed !or te low %owel *a*.

- / 01 2 3 45 6

Te onl+ complication is 'uantit+ 7 eac o! tese %owels can $e eiter long or sort, a ponemic contrast seen in sucinial )airsas: 8ST 9is ;8*, A@ *aw*, wic automaticall+ count as long%owels. Te term di)hthon*means tat te two elements (%owel glide) $elong to te same s+lla$le.

1.1.+. Di(idin* syllables in Latin

Te rule is: maBima&e te onset. Tis means: put as muc material as possi$le into te later s+lla$le, consistent wit tere'uirement tat its onset must $e accepta$le as te $eginning o! a world. "Bample:I.DRI.A.T@R, I

8/10/2019 The Romance Languages.doc

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Ti Alkire, Carol Rosen: Romance Languages: A Historical Introduction.

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