Feet, Syllables, Moras and the Estonian Quantity System

Abstract

Abstract. The Estonian language is unique in that it differentiates between three degrees of length in vowels, as well as in consonants. Phonologically, the ternary system of Estonian quantity has been interpreted in a variety of manners, but a generally accepted description has yet to be found.In the present paper, I argue for the approach that overlong segments arise due to foot-final lengthening in monosyllabic feet. Foot-final lengthening is not simply a matter of phonetic implementation. The lengthening may be the result of the addition of a mora at the end of the foot or from the strength of the final mora. I focus my discussion on the second case, which links footfinal lengthening and quantity degrees to the well-known Iambic-Trochaic Law.

Context-dependent articulation of consonant gemination in Estonian

“…For Q1 and Q2 the feet are disyllabic. The articulatory pattern for the lip opening gesture also lends support to the idea of weak and strong moras of Prillop (2013) discussed in the Introduction. Strong moras have phonetically been described with longer or more intense sounds, and articulatory results seem to confirm this.…”

“…Thus, the main issue regarding Estonian quantity lies in the representation of long and overlong syllables. Hint (1973) and Prince (1980) have treated Q1 and Q2 syllables as monomoraic and Q3 as bimoraic, but Prillop (2013) points out the contradiction of short and long vowels which would both be monomoraic in that case.…”

“…While Eek and Meister considered the second component of a diphthong as the coda, this approach does not fit well in the case of long vowels that would still be trimoraic (Prillop, 2013).…”

“…The latest phonological descriptions of Estonian three-way quantity system (Prillop, 2013(Prillop, , 2015 have also taken phonetic facts into account and have been based on the approach of the ternary system being manifested in a disyllabic foot as a whole. Feet are disyllabic for Q1 and Q2, but the stressed syllable of Q3 constitutes a foot alone, so the following unstressed syllable is reduced because it does not belong to the foot.…”

“…The final-lengthening at the end of the Q3 syllable and at the end of the Q1 foot is caused by the strong mora. Incorporating the Iambic-Trochaic Law (Hayes, 1995) Prillop (2013) expands on Kager's (1993) idea of weak and strong moras and suggests the opposition of weak and strong moras for Estonian. Strong moras are phonetically described with longer or more intense sounds.…”