Phonology

SPE model conception of stress

• - Stress is an inherent property of segments, vowels in particular.
• - Stress does not have a limited predetermined value, its values are n-ary.
• - There's a distinction between stress assignment at the phrasal level and at the word level.

Stress assignment at the word level (CSR)

• - the CSR (Compound Stress Rule) follows a [1-2] stress pattern.
• V -> [1stress] / __ X1 VY] L
• - the CSR operates in accordance with the device of Transformational Cycle and the Stress Subordination Convention (SSC), these rules are applied cyclically until the appropriate outputs are reached.
• - the Transformational Cycle assigns primary stress to one and only one vowel of each words that is bound on either side by word boundaries.
• - the SSC ensures that when primary stress is placed in a certain position then all other stresses in the string should be weakened.
• - Cycle 1 : (Application of the TC)
• blackboard -> [ N # A # black # ] A [ N # board # ] N # ] N
• ----------> [ N ## bl1ack # # b1oard # # N ]
• Cycle 2 : (Application of CSR)
• This yields single units which should be assigned one and only one primary stress.
• [ bl1ack b1oard ]
• Last cycle: (Application of SSC)
• bl1ack b2oard

Stress assignment at the phrase level (NSR)

• - the NSR (Nuclear Stress Rule) follows a [2-1] stress pattern.
• V -> [1stress] / __ 1XVY]P
• - the NSR operates according to the WSR and the SSC. These rules are applied cyclically until the desired output is reached.
• Cycle 1 : (WSR)
• [ NP # [ A # black # ] A [ N # board # ] N # ] NP
• ------------> [NP # # bl1ack # # b1oard # # NP]
• Cycle 2 : (NSR)
• [bl1ack b1oard]
• Cycle 3 : (SSC)
• bl2ack b1oard

Word Stress Level

• - Word stress location is accounted for by the Primary Stress Rule (PSR) which operates disjunctively.
• V -> [1stress] / __ C0 (V (C)) (VC0)]N
• - Stress is assigned to the final vowel if it's long or a diphthong
• V -> [1stress] / __ C0 ] N
• - Stress is assigned to the penultimate if it's long or short and followed by more than one consonant
• V -> [1stress] / __ C0VC0] N
• - Stress is assigned to the anti-penultimate if none of the above requirements is met
• V -> [1stress] / __ C0VC0VC0] N
• - This rule does not account for stress assignment in verbs and adjectives, another version of the PSR accounts for the fact that Vs and Adjs attract stress near the end
• V -> [1stress] / __ C0 (V (C))] V
• - Some Adjs undergo the nominal version of the rule, others undergo the verbal one.
• * Final version of the PSR :
• V -> [1stress] / __ C0 (V(C)) a (V C0) a #

To sum up

• - According to the SPE model, the syntactic categories are crucial for the determination of stress patterns within large constituents and words.
• - Stress is an inherent property of vowels that is assigned in terms of a set of formal linear rules.
• - Stress features are n-ary (multivalued)
• - Compounds are assigned a [1-2] stress pattern by the CSR, phrases are assigned a [2-1] stress pattern by the NSR.
• - Stress rules operate in accordance with the device of the Transformational Cycle and the Stress Subordination Convention.
• - Word stress location is accounted for by the PSR which applies disjunctively.

Weaknesses of the SPE approach to stress

• - Segmental conception of stress : the SPE's treatment of stress as an inherent feature of segments ignores the role of phonological constituents that are larger than the segment (syllable)
• - N-ary representation : The recognition of many values of stress is not found in speech, the additional levels cannot be perceived and hence their recognition is superfluous.
• - Linear assignment of stress : stress is relational in nature and not a discrete feature as the SPE model suggest.

The Metrical model: LP's initial model (1977)

• - The Metrical approach came as a response to the weaknesses of the SPE model in treating stress. The first serious attempt in the area of Metrical phonology was Liberman and Prince's 1977.
• - The central idea of metrical phonology is to capture the hierarchical nature of stress in a representation of its own, outside the segmental matrix that includes other features. (hence, the tree formalism)

The Tree Metrical Formalism

• - Stress is treated as a relational property that expresses patterns of prominence among constituents.
• - These relations of prominence are defined on metrical trees through the building of S (strong) and W (weak) labels on specific nodes.
• - Relations of prominence hold between sister constituents, the association of 'S' and 'W' labels to the nodes of metrical trees depends on the existence of sister constituents.
• - There should only be binary branching.
• - Sister nodes must only be in the relation [S W] or [W S], never in [W W] or [S S].
• - An isolated [S] or an isolated [W] is meaningless.
• - The metrical model reduces the n-ary values of stress to two values only: 'S' and 'W'
• Results:
• - LP bring the stress feature into alignment with the other ordinary features which are all binary.
• - The metrical tree submodel makes it possible to visualize the relational nature of stress by making it establish prominence relations among sister constituents, on metrical trees which are binary branching at lower and higher levels.

The procedures of tree construction (phrasal level)

• - At the phrasal level, the process of annotating metrical trees is governed by the syntactic category of the constituent (phrase or compound)
• - In syntax, establishing the relations between the different elements of a constituent and its structure is done through trees. LP use trees to achieve phonological representations.
• Consider the tree for " John left " or for " stress shift " .