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Word stress assignment in German, English and Dutch: Quantity-sensitivity and extrametricality revisited

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Abstract

English, German, and Dutch show very similar word stress patterns, in that word stress is not fixed to a certain position within a word, but realized within the final three syllables. There is, however, no consensus on the actual stress-assigning algorithms and the role of quantity (e.g., Kiparsky 1982; Wiese 2000; Hayes 1995; Giegerich 1985, 1992; Trommelen and Zonneveld 1999a, b). Existing studies are methodologically problematic since they largely depend on convenience samples of existing words and do not test their claims with new words. Using mixed effects regression and classification trees as analytical tools, this paper presents the results of a production experiment with pseudowords and an analysis of large random samples as found in the CELEX lexical database. It is shown that stress assignment is sensitive to syllabic weight in all three languages, though in slightly different ways. The implications of these results for the metrical structure of the three languages are discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für deutsche Sprache und Literatur, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Ulrike Domahs

  2. English Language and Linguistics, University of Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany

    Ingo Plag

  3. Department of Dutch Studies, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany

    Rebecca Carroll

  4. Institut für deutsche Sprache und Literatur, Universität zu Köln, Gronewaldstraße 2, 50931, Köln, Germany

    Ulrike Domahs

Authors
  1. Ulrike Domahs
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  2. Ingo Plag
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Correspondence to Ulrike Domahs.

Appendix

Appendix

1.1 A. German Pseudowords

vc.v.vcc

v.vc.vcc

vc.v.vc

v.v.vc

Gam.do.kust

Ga.dom.kust

Bin.sa.kaf

Bä.lu.ful

Hul.sa.domp

Hu.sal.domp

Dim.pu.sat

Dä.mu.pok

Kon.fa.sorp

Ko.fan.sorp

Ful.go.but

Fe.ko.mot

 

Lü.ras.palf

Gos.ta.ful

Go.nü.bak

 

Mä.fal.rolk

Hol.ta.pok

Hü.ba.guf

Nom.pu.lams

No.pur.lams

Kis.nu.mot

Ke.ga.fur

Pas.ro.garf

Pa.ros.garf

Lan.do.guf

La.fö.was

Rul.ko.menk

Ru.kol.menk

Mur.la.was

Va.so.haf

Ser.da.nulz

Se.daf.nulz

Pel.no.fur

Wo.ta.sat

Tak.lu.tarp

Ta.luf.tarp

 

Zö.da.but

v.vc.vc

v.v.v

v.vc.v

vc.vc.v

Bo.kam.was

De.to.pu

Bu.mol.ta

Dir.san.ra

Da.pön.bak

Fu.sa.fo

Me.fal.bo

Kat.lön.bo

Fä.lus.fur

Ga.rö.so

Na.dur.so

Kum.sak.pu

Go.rum.ful

Ho.bu.lo

Pa.lön.fo

Las.fon.ta

Ra.bosch.kaf

Kä.na.ra

Ro.taf.ku

Mok.nas.fo

Si.fas.mot

Lö.mu.da

Sä.lot.ga

Nel.kum.lo

Tu.lor.sat

Mü.la.ku

Tö.pum.lo

Rän.gul.da

Vu.pal.but

Ne.kü.ga

We.läs.ra

Sap.wur.ku

Wo.sol.pok

Pa.go.ta

Vü.sol.da

Täm.buf.ga

Zü.bal.guf

Ru.ga.bo

Zi.lat.pu

Wis.top.so

1.2 B. English Pseudowords

vc.v.vcc

v.vc.vcc

vc.v.vc

v.v.vc

rulcomest

sadufnalf

Binsacub

baloguth

masforuld

parosgarf

Gostafaz

lamopog

nompolans

gadomcust

Holtanof

lafowoth

serdanuls

huzaldomp

folmadoth

fekomof

lusrapalf

bofangond

lundogof

gonusab

tilcopalt

mafalrolt

molravos

hanogaf

confagond

nopumlans

fulgobog

cagafoth

holsadomp

rucolmest

pelnofut

sudabod

posragols

niraspalf

zalfolup

votasat

gamdocoft

tolufpalt

thimravas

masocath

v.vc.vc

v.v.v

v.vc.v

vc.vc.v

bocamvas

hobalu

tholatpo

tambufga

falosfuth

dotopu

visalda

molnasfo

zefasmof

gerosu

rocafta

nelcumlo

sudalgaf

cabora

tosumlo

cumzacto

goromfod

mulako

nadalco

lisfonta

dapunbod

losuda

velasra

domsanro

raboshgat

pulota

palonfo

cathlonbo

godolpog

fotafo

Silatpa

wistocso

tulasrup

nipago

bomolta

rongalda

nopalbol

rogaba

mefalbo

lupvulco

1.3 C. Dutch Pseudowords

vc.v.vcc

v.vc.vcc

vc.v.vc

v.v.vc

gandokost

gadomkost

binsakaf

belufol

holsadomp

hosaldomp

dimposat

demopok

konfasorp

kofansorp

falgobot

fekomot

 

luraspalf

gostafol

gonubak

metfarolk

mefalrolk

holtapok

hubagof

nompolams

noporlams

kisnomot

kegafor

pasrogarf

parosgarf

landogof

lafuwas

rulkomenk

rokolmenk

morlawas

vasohaf

serdanols

sedafnuls

pelnofor

wotasat

taklotarp

taloftarp

 

zudabot

v.vc.vc

v.v.v

v.vc.v

vc.vc.v

bokamwas

detono

bomolta

dirsanra

daponbak

fosafo

mefalbo

katlondo

felosfar

garoso

nadorso

komsakpo

goromfol

hobolo

palonfo

lasfonta

raboskaf

kenara

rotafko

moknasfo

sifasmot

lumoda

selotga

nelkomlo

tolorsat

mulako

silatpu

rengolda

wosolpok

nekuga

tupomlo

sapworko

vopalbot

pagota

vusolda

tembofga

zubalgof

rogabo

welesra

wistopso

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Domahs, U., Plag, I. & Carroll, R. Word stress assignment in German, English and Dutch: Quantity-sensitivity and extrametricality revisited. J Comp German Linguistics 17, 59–96 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10828-014-9063-9

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