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Three reasons for accenting a definite subject

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

D. J. Allerton  and
A. Cruttenden
D. J. Allerton
Affiliation:
Department of Linguistics, University of Manchester
A. Cruttenden
Affiliation:
Department of Linguistics, University of Manchester
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Extract

In 1971–72 a lengthy discussion took place in Language concerning sentence stress (alias nuclear stress, alias intonation nucleus placement) and its relationship to syntactic structure (Bresnan, 1971, 1972; Lakoff, 1972; Berman & Szamosi, 1972; Bolinger, 1972). Bolinger had the last word in stating that placement of the nuclear accent ‘is not explainable by syntax or morphology’ but ‘is a matter of information, not of structure’ (Bolinger, 1972: 633). According to this view words with low informational content (i.e. highly predictable) in a particular context or situation are unlikely to receive a nuclear stress, whereas words with high information content (i.e. highly unpredictable) are likely to receive a nuclear stress. In addition, ‘the speaker will put the main accent as far to the right as he dares, when assertive pressure is high’ (Bolinger, 1972: 644).

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Linguistics , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , March 1979 , pp. 49 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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References

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