Naslov
Phonological Status of Croatian Accent

Autori
Jelaska, Zrinka ; Cvikić, Lidija

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Second International PErspectives on Slavistics Conference: Book of Abstracts / Birzer, Sandra et. all - Regensburg : Univ. of Regensburg & Slavistik LMU Muenchen, 2006

Skup
Perspectives on Slavistics II

Mjesto i datum
Regensburg, Njemačka, Od 21. do 24. rujna

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Phonology; Accent; Croatian language; language changes

Sažetak
Croatian is classified as pitch accent language. It consists of three features: stress, length (one vs. two moras) and tone (marked H and default L). Croatian accent plays a phonological role - it may be the only phonological features that distinguishes words. Croatian accent also functions as form-defining feature. However, as many others languages today, Croatian is in the noticeable process of changing, and prosodic system is very vulnerable to them. While some accent-changes of Croatian standard seem to be inevitable, it is not only the normativists that resists many of those changes as they affect language system as a whole. This paper deals with changes that affect Croatian accent and attributes them to language external as well as language internal forces. It theoretically analyses those changes from two points of view. The first one is purely phonological, it concerns the structure of Croatian accent. In dialect contacts and urbanization a lot of dialect speakers simplify their (standard) pitch-accent. Features or distribution rules are disregarded systematically with predictable order. For example, the first distinction to disappear is the one between short two-syllabic and one-syllabic pitch accents (traditionally: short rising and short falling).The changes reveal hierarchical relationship between its accent-features, their stability and distributional position. The insight in the structure of Croatian accent may explain various success in attempts to acquire it. The other point of view is morphological, as Croatian accent distinguishes and/or accompanies morphological categories as well. The fact that accent is the only or one of the few grammaticalized features that define word-form will be presented through various examples. The analysis reveals why some of accent changes are being resisted from a linguistic point of view, while others will be accepted by Croatian society soon, if they are not accepted yet.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Filologija

POVEZANOST RADA