Pravci razvoja prozodijskog sistema u slovenskim jezicima
The Directions of Prosodic Changes in Slavic Languages
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The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the study of the typology
of sound changes in Slavic languages.
The Late Common Slavic prosodie pattern included three distinctive
features on the level of word phonology: (place of) accent, quantity and tone.
In most Slavic languages this pattern underwent far-reaching changes. The
general trend was towards simplification of the pattern, so that in most
dialects only stress, or only quantity, or no prosodie feature at all remain
distinctive. The only geographic area where both accent and quantity were
preserved as DF embraces most Serbocroatian and some Slovene dialects.
Tone distinctions occur as a rule only in dialects where the two other DF
are present.
Accent shirts are predominantly regressive. Usually, the accent was
transferred to the immediately preceding syllable. Shortening of vowels
is much more widespread than lengthening, especially in unaccented sylla
bles. The typical direction of tone changes is rising -* falli...ng. In all these
cases the general trend is to replace the structurally marked situation by
the unmarked one (as to accent placement, we must bear in mind that there
exists a certain collision between accent near the end of the word and the
neutral sentence intonation, which is usually falling). However, changes in
the opposite direction, too, are attested. Thus, there are also instances of
progressive shifts, lengthenings and tone changes from falling to rising.
Prosodie contrasts proved to be relatively unstable. This appears to
be a consequence of their nature, which is quantitative (no „yes or no"
contrasts, but „more or less" of something) and therefore relational and, to a certain extent, abstract. Within the prosodie domain, accent proves to
be the most stable DF, whereas tone is the most unstable one. The hiearchy
of the geographical areas of accent, quantity and tone in Slavic corresponds
to the general European situation.
Lost prosodie DF get reintroduced relatively rarely. The sources of
such innovations are : rephonologization of certain segmental features, intro
duction of loanwords, analogical processes in inflection or word formation,
or the generalization of an originally expressive pronunciation. However,
in such cases the new distinction usually remains on the periphery of the
phonological pattern.
Source:
Јужнословенски филолог, 1987, 43, 1-16Publisher:
- Београд : Институт за српскохрватски језик