2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Theoretical studies of accentuation in terms of mora and syllable
| Project/Area Number |
16520230
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Linguistics
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| Research Institution | Chiba University |
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Principal Investigator |
TABATA Toshiyuki Chiba University, Center for Language Education, Professor (00135237)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2007
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| Keywords | mora / syllable / mirror image / Ancient Greek / Latin / Dialectology / Kansai dialect / addressing system |
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| Research Abstract |
The main focus has been on the roles of mora and syllable concerning accentuation. Based on the analysis of Ancient Greek and Latin in terms of morn and syllable, I have argued that the accent systems of these two languages are in a mirror-image relation. I have demonstrated that an apparent difference between the two languages can be reduced to a very simple principle, in which the rightmost heavy syllable or its equivalent (= two light syllables in a row) plays a crucial role in determining where accent falls. Ancient Greek recessive accent follows the so called three-morn rule so that the third morn counting inclusively from the right-most heavy syllable (or its equivalent) is where accent falls. Unlike Ancient Greek, Latin uses the rightmost heavy syllable (or its equivalent) in a different way. Latin requires that the right-most heavy syllable must be followed by an additional syllable (it does not mater whether this syllable is short or long) on its right side. Roughly speaking,
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accent is calculated in Ancient Greek from right to left, where the counting beginning in the heavy syllable. The three-mora principle in Ancient Greek creates the situation where the second mora of a long vowel functions as an independent accent-bearing unit. H Latin, the right-most heavy syllable defines the largest possible recessive accent domain when followed by a syllable. Ancient Greek and Latin share the principle: the accent falls on the left-most accent-bearing unit in the accent domain. This finding strongly implies that the accent system characteristic of Osaka Japanese follows the same principle established for Ancient Greek and that Tokyo Japanese follows the principle observed in Latin.
I have also analyzed the addressing system of Osaka dialect, arguing that the alternation /san〜han〜ttsan/ should be captured in terms of phonological constraints targeted at avoiding the sequence of weak vowels /i/ /u/ and the least sonorous consonant /h/, which is why personal names ending in high vowels cannot be followed by /han/ even in informal situations. Finally, I have proposed a principle which can explain why Japanese numerals "san" and "yon," thought they are similar to each other, behave differently when they are followed by voiceless obstruents, such as "san-zen" and "yon-sen." I have argued that the different phonological should be attributed to two-track numeral system of Japanese. Less
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Research Products
(20 results)
