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PERSISTENCE OF THE LATIN ACCENT IN THE NOMINAL ...

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learned words such as aptitud ‘aptitude.’ It should be remembered that the presence of a<br />

grapheme in standard orthography does not guarantee the realization of a segment phonetically.<br />

Both aptitud and actitud can be rendered as [a.ti.'tu]. Consonants at the 5 level are also<br />

problematic, for example, the only voiced stop that occurs in word final position with regularity<br />

is /d/, subject to weakening and elision in many varieties of Spanish. Voiceless continuants are<br />

represented by /s/ which has a morphological function yet is also subject to aspiration or elision;<br />

/f/ occurs only in marginal words (/θ/, limited to central and northern Spain, does not show signs<br />

of weakening or elision,). Additionally, there are many languages that disallow coda consonants<br />

altogether (see Blevins 2004b on loss of final consonants in Austronesian).<br />

Blevins (1995, 214-215) proposes a three way typology for syllable weight based on<br />

branching rhyme (nucleus + coda) or branching nucleus (long vowel). Within each type the<br />

weight of the nucleus and coda represent a gradient: light (nonbranching), heavy or heaviest.<br />

Which elements are computed in the weight respond to language-specific computation of weight<br />

(nucleus only or rhyme). Unattested forms are indicated by --- and X represents either V or C.<br />

Because type 1 languages do not admit coda consonants the heaviest syllable type consists of a<br />

long vowel. The difference between heavy and heaviest syllables, for Type 3, is predicated on<br />

the sonority of the rhyme. A long vowel or a vowel plus resonant are more sonorous than a<br />

vowel followed by a non resonant coda consonant.<br />

Table 1-4. Typology of light and heavy syllables<br />

Light<br />

Type 1 C0V<br />

Nonbranching rhyme<br />

Type 2 C0VC0<br />

Nonbranching nucleus<br />

Type 3 C0V<br />

C0V<br />

Nonbranching rhyme<br />

Heavy<br />

Heaviest<br />

--- C0VX<br />

Branching rhyme<br />

--- C0VV<br />

Branching nucleus<br />

C0VC1<br />

C0VV<br />

C0VC1<br />

C0V{V, R}<br />

Branching rhyme Branching nucleus<br />

50<br />

Representative<br />

languages<br />

Sierra Miwok,<br />

Hausa<br />

Huasteco,<br />

Hawaiian<br />

Klamath, Yupik<br />

Creek

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