BBN–ANG–243 Phonological analysis

Prosody: Phrase stress, rhythm & intonation

Zoltán G. Kiss, Attila Starčević, Péter Szigetvári, Miklós Törkenczy

Dept. of English Linguistics, Eötvös Loránd University

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 outline

topic outline

◮ prosody: stress, rhythm, intonation

◮ locating stress in phrases and sentences
◮ primary stress (tonic), secondary stress, strong unstressed and weak
unstressed syllables
◮ The End-Weight Principle
◮ The Rhythm Rule
◮ stress in compounds

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 prosody

prosody /prÓs@dIj/

◮ examination of units larger than the word: in phrases and in sentences

◮ the elements of prosody are also called suprasegmentals: they appear
in units ‘above’ the segments: e.g., the syllable
◮ prosody = the study of stress, rhythm and intonation
◮ in literature it also includes tempo, speed, key – all related to the
delivery of oral text

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 prosody stress

stress

◮ stress = the relative prominence of a syllable over another

◮ ‘prominence’ = basically, loudness
◮ da-da-DA-da-da-DA-da
◮ derive = da-DA deríve
develop = da-DA-da devélop
cinema = DA-da-da cínema
◮ prominence cannot only be signalled by loudness but it can be
enhanced by other features, too (e.g., length)

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 prosody rhythm

rhythm

◮ rhythm/beat = the way stressed syllables follow each other, forming

(rhythmic) feet
◮ a foot = a stressed syllable plus the unstressed syllables that follow it
◮ Jeremy played the guitar.
◮ underline the syllables
◮ Jeremy played the guitar.
◮ mark the stressed syllables with an accent
◮ Jéremy pláyed the guitár.
◮ Jéremy pláyed the guitár. – 3 stressed syllables, number of feet = 3
◮ | Jéremy | pláyed the gui | tár.

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 prosody intonation

intonation

◮ intonation = the changes in the height of the voice (the pitch)

◮ da-daր-da-da-da-ր-da-da
◮ intonation is like melody
◮ loudness (stress) + pitch (intonation) combine together to create the
most prominent syllable in a sentence/phrase/word: the tonic
◮ DA-da-da-DA-da-da-ցDA
◮ Jéremy | pláyed the gui | ցtár.
◮ da-DA-da-da-DA-da-da-րDA
◮ Did | Jéremy | pláyed the gui | րtár?

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 end-weight principle

The End-Weight Principle/Rule

◮ If there is a sequence of equal stresses, the last must become the

strongest = the most prominent. = The prosodic “weight” of an
utterance must be at the end.
◮ this last stressed syllable is the tonic:

néw ցbóok Amánda ցCólinder sít ցdówn

consíderable exցpénses útterly deցstrúctive He críticized ցéverything.
The chíldren mánaged to cárry the súitcases to the édge of the ցróundabout.
únbeցlíevable
◮ thus, the tonic is the only primary stress in the word/phrase/
sentence, everything else is downgraded to secondary

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 1ry/2ry stress

primary stress vs. secondary stress

◮ primary stress of a word/phrase/sentence = a stressed syllable where –

when the word is used in a sentence – the pitch may change, i.e., the
stressed syllable which may potentially become the tonic when put in a
sentence
◮ secondary stress of a word/phrase/sentence = a stressed syllable,
which is always before the primary-stressed syllable and which does
not become a tonic when used in a sentence
◮ INPUT: Her new film is unbelievable.
◮ STRESS PLACEMENT: Her néw fílm is únbelíevable. 0 1 1 0 10100
◮ TONIC PLACEMENT: Her néw fílm is únbe- ցlíevable. 0 2 2 0 20100

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 1ry/2ry stress

primary stress vs. secondary stress

◮ Ráchel + was + háppy + to + cýcle + hóme →

◮ Ráchel was háppy to cýcle hóme. = 20 0 20 0 20 1

◮ véry + níce + péople → véry níce péople = 20 2 10

◮ phóto + montáge → phóto montáge = 20 01

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 1ry/2ry stress

your turn: give the stress levels

◮ Amanda spent a year in the forest.

◮ Amánda spént a yéar in the fórest. = 020 2 0 2 00 10

◮ Jim was interested in international law.

◮ Jím was ínterested in ínternátional láw. = 2 0 200 0 20200 1

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 rhythm rule

The Rhythm Rule

◮ as we have seen, each stressed syllable begins a foot:

| Jím | pláyed | ténnis.
◮ often the stressed syllable in the middle is deleted:
| Jím 0 played | ténnis.
◮ when three stresses come too closely together, English tends to delete
the middle one
◮ the stress is deleted but the vowel remains full – thus, the syllable
becomes tertiary “stressed”
◮ níce óld lády 221 → níce old lády 231
◮ Jápanése gárden 20210 → Jápanese gárden 20310
◮ the Rhythm Rule has two applications depending on the position of the
middle, deleted stress: 1. between words or 2. within a (longer) word

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 rhythm rule nice old lady rule

Rhythmic medial stress deletion (“nice old lady” rule)

◮ when three words with main stresses come closely together, with
maximally one unstressed syllable between them, the stressed syllable
in the middle may optionally be deleted (= reduced to 3ry: vowel
quality does not change, the vowel remains a “full” vowel)
◮ instead of 3 feet there are 2 now:
Foot 1 Foot 2 Foot 3
níce óld lády
níce 0 old lády
◮ this reduction is purely a rhythmic rule and is not connected to
meaning or emphasis or grammatical role of the word
◮ other examples:
◮ véry níce péople → véry 0 nice péople
◮ my són spéaks Híndi → my són 0 speaks Híndi
◮ we stóod ríght thére → we stóod 0 right thére
◮ Jóhn dísappéared → Jóhn 0 disappéared
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 rhythm rule afternoon tea rule

Rhythmic stress shift (“afternoon tea” rule)

◮ if a longer word, with two stresses, is immediately (or with just one
unstressed syllable between them) followed by a stressed word, the
middle stress may optionally be deleted (= reduced to 3ry)
◮ áfternóon 201
but: áfter0 noon téa 203 1
◮ the stress in the longer word basically “shifts”: 2 1 → 2 3
◮ other examples:
◮ Jápanése → Jápa0 ese gárden
◮ fíftéen → fíf0 teen gírls
◮ sárdíne → sár0 dine sándwich
◮ démocrátic → démo0 cratic cóuntry
◮ récomménd → réco0 mmend sómething

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 rhythm rule afternoon tea rule

nice old lady = afternoon tea

Foot 1 Foot 2 Foot 3

níce óld lády
níce 0 old lády
áfter nóon téa
áfter 0 noon téa

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 rhythm rule afternoon tea rule

your turn: give the stress levels

◮ We had a nice old lady for afternoon tea.

◮ We hád a níce óld lády for áfternóon téa. = 0 2 0 2 2 2 0 202 1 →
◮ We hád a níce 0 old lády for áfter0 noon téa. = 0 2 0 2 3 2 0 203 1

◮ Ann’s two dogs ran wild.

◮ Ánn’s twó dógs rán wíld. = 2 2 2 2 1 →
◮ Ánn’s 0 two dógs 0 ran wíld. = 2 3 2 3 1

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 locating sentence stress

locating phrase/sentence stress

◮ in connected speech, the general rule is to stress every content-word,

and leave function-words unstressed
◮ I think Amanda should write Jennifer a letter.
◮ I thínk Amánda should wríte Jénnifer a létter.
◮ content-words: N, V, Adj, Adv (including adverb particles: get up,
sit down, numerals, interrogative & demonstrative pronouns (who,
this, that), negative words (not, won’t)
◮ function-words: auxiliaries, pronouns, articles, conjunctions,
prepositions

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 locating sentence stress

your turn: which words are stressed?

◮ They o=ered to pay but I don’t want them to.

◮ They ó=ered to páy but I dón’t wánt them to.
◮ They ó=ered to páy but I dón’t wánt them to.

◮ Amanda and Jennifer should wait for us.

◮ Amánda and Jénnifer should wáit for us.
◮ Amánda and Jénnifer should wáit for us.

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 3ry stress

tertiary “stress”?

◮ we have seen that from a prosodic point of view, there are 2 stresses:
primary and secondary
◮ unstressed syllables typically contain one of the reduced vowels:
/@ I Ij 0w/: sálad /sál@d/, crédit /krÉdIt/ 10
ínstrument /Ínstr@m@nt/ 100
háppy /hápIj/ 10
Ándrew, válue /ándr0w válj0w/ 10
◮ some unstressed syllables may contain a full vowel, such syllables are
sometimes called tertiary stressed (or strong unstressed)
◮ these syllables are not stressed (not loud) and can never become 1ry
stressed (tonics) – the End-Weight Principle does not “see” them

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 3ry stress

tertiary stress is not a stress prosodically

shalot /S@lOt/ alcohol /alk@hOl/

That box contains a shalót. That box contains álcohol.
*That box contains álcohól.

◮ based on this the /O/ in shalot has lexical 1ry stress but in alcohol it has
3ry stress (strong-unstressed)

◮ also: tertiary “stressed” syllables behave di=erently from stressed

syllables with respect to the Rhythm Rule

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 3ry stress

Rhythmic stress shift and tertiary “stress”

◮ tertiary “stress” cannot be stress because the Rhythm Rule does not
apply:
◮ Octóber is 310 /Okt´@wb@/
◮ let’s suppose the vowel in the 1st syllable /O/ has “real” stress:
Óctóber + ráin → Óc0 tober ráin
◮ but this is not grammatical, the right stress pattern is:
Octóber ráin (no deletion of middle stress+stress on 1st syllable)
◮ 3ry “stress” is then not a stress from a prosodic point of view (it is just
a syllable which happens to contain an unstressed but “full” vowel)
◮ salvátion, Salvátion Ármy (*Sálvation Ármy)
Montána, Montána béar (*Móntana béar)
Titánic, Titánic’s bánd (*Títanic’s bánd)

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 compounds

compounds

◮ We sáw an incrédibly úgly pétrol station.

◮ stress in pétrol station is 10 30
◮ but based on the End-Weight Rule, shouldn’t it be pétrol státion 20 10?
◮ no, because it is a compound

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 compounds

what are compounds?

◮ lexical(ized) units made up of two or more free stems (= words), they

are not created “online”, like phrases
◮ compounds often have something special in their meaning,
something beyond the mere sum of their parts
◮ He bought a new car. Have you seen the black car?
◮ blackboard, blackbird, mousepad, paperback, railway, hard disk, co=ee
shop

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 compounds spelling

spelling of compounds

◮ not consistent. . .
◮ one word: greenhouse, schoolboy, dishwasher, egghead, screensaver
◮ with a hyphen: word-final, write-o=, can-opener, fun-loving, hair-raising
◮ most are written as two words: car ferry, geography teacher, Fifth Street,
brick wall, fire alarm
◮ similar in Hungarian: rézdrót ‘copper wire’, jószívű ‘kind-hearted’;
káposzta-savanyító ‘cabbage-sourer’; mérges kígyó ‘venomous snake’,
bakot lő ‘blunder’

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 compounds stressing

stressing of compounds

◮ 2 types of compounds with respect to stress

◮ initially-stressed compounds, pattern: [ [ 1 ] [ 3 ] ]: gréenhouse, cár ferry,
compúter virus, Fífth Street
◮ finally-stressed compounds, pattern: [ [ 2 ] [ 1 ] ]: tráde únion, frúit sálad,
Victória Státion, Fífth Ávenue
◮ which compound has which stress pattern is mostly lexical (has to be
learnt)

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 compounds stressing

stress in phrases and compounds

◮ stress in phrases: End-Weight Rule: tonic on the last content word

◮ (We are using a) new book.
◮ (We are úsing a) néw ցbóok. 2 1

◮ initially-stressed compound: the Compound Stress Rule “bleeds” the

End-Weight Rule (= once two words have been compounded, the
position of the tonic stays fixed):
◮ (I’ll make some) orange juice.
◮ Compound Stress R.: (I’ll máke some) ցórange juice. 1 3
◮ End-Weight R.: — doesn’t apply —
◮ *órange ցjúice (2 1)

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 compounds stressing

your turn: give the stress pattern

◮ Some people have red skin.

◮ Some péople háve réd skín. (phrase: 2 1)

◮ That man is a red skin.

◮ That mán is a réd skin. (compound: 1 3)

◮ I met an English teacher.

◮ as a phrase: I mét an Énglish téacher. 2 1
◮ as a compound: I mét an Énglish teacher. 1 3

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 compounds initially-stressed

initially-stressed compounds

◮ nouns: gréenhouse, cár ferry, scréensaver, cán-opener, shóplifting,

páperback, bláckboard, bláckbird
◮ adjectives: wáterproof, fún-loving, trústworthy, súnlit, séasick
◮ verbs: báby-sit, bélly-dance, áir-condition, cháin-smoke

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 compounds obscured

obscured compounds

◮ in some compounds the 3ry “stress” has become completely reduced

13→10
◮ póstman /-m@n/, wélcome /-k@m/, cúpboard /-b@d/, nécklace /-l@s/,
fórehead /-Id/, bréakfast /-f@st/, vínyard /-j@d/, daisy (from day’s
eye), etc.

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 compounds finally-stressed

finally-stressed compounds

◮ prosodically they are like phrases (but not syntactically/semantically!),

stress pattern: 2 1
◮ That’s a néw wáll. (phrase) = That’s a bríck wáll. (compound)
◮ The wrestler had a very cómpact bódy. (phrase)
= Very few people use a cómpact dísk. (compound)

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 compounds finally-stressed

finally-stressed compounds: nouns

◮ ‘2 is/is made of 1’: bríck wáll, frúit sálád, potátó chíps

◮ ‘2 is (a) 1’: tóy sóldier, chíld áctor, Lórd Máyor, júnk fóod
◮ names of places (except Street): Fífth Ávenue, Céntral Párk, Victória
Státion, Héroes’ Sqúare, Crómwell Róad, Lóndon Brídge,
— but: Fífth Street
◮ initials: DJ /dÍj dZÉj/, OK /´@w kÉj/, BBC /bÍjbÍjsÍj/, MTV /ÉmtÍjvÍj/
◮ others: Sócial Démocrat, bláck márket, Cóca-Cóla, wéekénd
(AmE: wéekend)

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 compounds finally-stressed

finally-stressed compounds: other categories

◮ adjectives: éasy-góing, úser-fríendly, dúty frée, dárk brówn

◮ 2nd element is a participle: bád-témpered, wéll-desérved
◮ adverbs: héad-fírst, úpstáirs, Nórth-Éast
◮ verbs: dówngráde, cróss-exámine, óversléep

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 compounds finally-stressed

phrase vs. compound stress

The tourists found drínking water. 1 + 3, initially-stressed compound

The tourists were drínking wáter. 2 + 1, syntactic phrase
The tourists found rúnning wáter. 2 + 1, finally-stressed compound

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 compounds embedding

compound embedding

general scheme of initially-stressed compounds

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 compounds embedding

initially-stressed [1 3] into initially stressed [1 3] → [1 3 3]

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 compounds embedding

finally-stressed [2 1] into initially stressed [1 3] → [2 1 3]

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 compounds embedding

finally-stressed [2 1] into finally stressed [2 1] → *[2 1 1] →

[2 2 1] or [2 3 1]

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 compounds Greek

Greek compounds

◮ words coming from Greek

◮ sympathy, dialogue = sym+pathy, dia+logue
◮ two components are fairly independent, and have describable meaning
◮ the second element, if monosyllabic, will preserve its strong vowel:
mono+graph /mÓn@grA:f/, not /-gr@f/,
dia+logue /dÁj@lOg/, not /-l@g/
◮ yet they do not occur as words on their own, “bound stems”

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 compounds Greek

Greek compounds

◮ Greek-initial components
mono-, ana-, thermo-, poly-, . . .
◮ Greek-final components
-graph, -logy, -meter, -phone, . . .

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 compounds Greek

Greek compounds

◮ at least three syllables long

◮ stress is on the antepenult of the whole compound, irrespective of
how many syllables the two components have

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 compounds Greek

Greek compounds

antepenult penult ult

mó no+ graph
sým+ pa thy
a ná+ lo gous
trí go nó+ me try

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 compounds Greek

Greek compounds

1st component 2nd component

1 syllable 2 syllables
1 syllable sým+pathy sýn+chrony
— hóm+onym trí+logy
án+archy éx+odus
2 syllables móno+graph árchi+tect aná+logy catá+strophy
díno+saur ástro+naut thermó+meter kiló+metre
phóto+graph psýcho+path monó+tonous metró+polis
cáta+logue téle+phone pentá+meter antí+thesis
3 syllables arísto+crat icóno+clast áristó+cracy páleó+graphy
méteoró+logy chóreó+grapher

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 compounds Greek

Greek compounds

◮ compare phótocopy /f´@wt@wkOpIj/ – photógraphy /f@tÓgr@fIj/

◮ phótocopy is a regular compound (two free stems), photógraphy is a
Greek compound (one word, two bound stems) – notice the vowels
and the stress

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