Linguist 301 Assignment 1

The following data are taken from p. 57 of Erik Fudge's book English Word-Stress 1984, London Ge orge Allen & Unw in).

{`-ant
Two distinct suffixes must be recognised .
A Ad jective -forming -ant:

Pre-stressed112.

Exam ples: a'bundant (bun is a strong syllable) 'consonant (so 
is a weak syllable)
,flam'boyant (boy is a strong syllable)
Exception: gal'lant (= 'amorous') (Note that 'gallant , 'brave', follows the rule.)
B Noun-forming -ant:

Stress-neutral when the stem is free.

Exam ples: ac'count - ac'countant
de'fend - de'fendant in'habit - in'habitant
Exceptions (mainly pre-stressed 1/2):
'aspirant (ctr. a'spire)
'combatant (ctr. 'com,bat with full vowel in the final syllable)
'comman,dant (ctr com'mand) 'confi,dant (ctr. con'fide)
*'disputant (ctr. dis'pute) e'xecutant (ctr. 'exe,cute) 'Protestant (ctr. pro'test)

Pre-stressed 1/2 when the stem is not free.

Exam ples:
ap'pellant (pet is a strong syllable)
. 'adjutant Gu. 
is a weak syllable) 'celebrant (le is a weak syllable)
'occupant (cii is a weak syllable)
Exceptions:
,lieu'tenant [,lef] or [,tu:-] (even though te is a weak syllable)
Le'vant
'flagellant (in spite of the strong syllable -gel- arising from
double 1)
`}

The data are the author's version of the accent-assignment rules for the English suffix -ant. You will note that he distinguishes between two types of -ant, an adjective-forming -ant and a noun-forming

-ant. The noun-forming -ant has two stress-assignment patterns: when the stem is a free form, the suffix is stress-neutral, meaning that the stress does not change, and the stress on the free form is retained; however, when the stem is a bound form, the stress pattern is "pre-stressed 1/2" meaning that a stress is assigned to the first or second syllable before the suffix, depending on the strength (i.e. weight) of the preceding syllable.

1. Reanalyse Fudge's data to provide a simpler analysis (one with a single stress-assignment pattern, if possible, and/or fewer exceptions). Feel free to use additional words ending in the suffix -ant to support or strengthen your analysis. Couch your analysis in terms of syllable structure (i.e. heavy and light syllables), foot structure, and extrametricality, and provide a word-by-word analysis or explanation of ALL of the examples given here by

2. The following (from Fudge (1984: 64), classifies the English suffix -cide as is "pre-stressed 2" (meaning that a stress is assigned to the second syllable before the suffix).

{`
-cide
Pre-stressed 2.
Examples: 'in'fanti,cide
'piira'siti,cide (long i of parasite is shortened by 'trisyllabic shortening'. See Section 6.3)
Note: Some words ending in -cide are of the form [prefix+stem]:
de'cide 'co-in 'cide
`}

He thus classifies -ant and -cide differently with respect to the stress-assignment process. Providing more examples of words ending in this suffix, discuss whether there is a need for this distinction in classification is necessary for -cide.