Korean accent

Abstract

This paper examines the accent systems of Middle Korean (MK) and the contemporary Korean dialects (North/South Kyengsang, Hamkyeng/Yanbian) both synchronically and diachronically, focusing on native simplex nouns. In an analysis of the MK accent system, we clarify correlations between a syllable’s segmental shape and the accent class of the stem, and propose that in Proto-Korean native nouns did not have a distinctive pitch accent. We also show that MK (as well as Proto-Korean) had a right-to-left iambic prominence system in which the unaccented stem class had an underlying floating H tone reflecting an apocopated syllable from an earlier stage of the language. We then examine the regular accentual correspondences between MK and the contemporary dialects and hypothesize that the accent retraction found in the Kyengsang dialects (“Kyengsang accent shift”) took place after the introduction of Sino-Korean vocabulary. Finally, based on an Optimality Theoretic analysis, we show that all dialects including MK tend to avoid a lapse in accent at the right edge of the word, which is accomplished by different repair strategies.

The Origins of /h/-Final Nouns in Middle Korean

“…The seminal works of Ramsey's (1978Ramsey's ( , 1986 have established a clear link between the tones of monosyllabic verbal stems and their segmental features, i.e., the type of consonant at the end of a stem determines its tone. Whitman (1993) and Ito (2013) later identified a similar correlation between syllable endings and tone in monosyllabic nominal stems. Despite minor discrepancies, the correspondences between verbal and nominal stems are comparable, as illustrated in Table 2.…”

“…This is also evident in Modern Korean (Kang 2014). Nonetheless, Ramsey (1986Ramsey ( , 1991, Whitman (1994), andIto (2013) consider this correspondence to be the consequence of syncope in the same manner as other tone-segment correspondences in MK.…”

“…Ramsey (1986Ramsey ( , 1991 attributed this segment-tone correlation to historical developments, assuming that native words in Proto-Korean (PK) lacked distinctive tone. Instead, a default right-to-left iambic rhythm was assigned for each stem (Ito, 2013). Subsequent weak vowel syncope, apocope, and various tone deletion and contraction processes gave rise to the MK tone system (see Ramsey 1986, Ito 2013 for more details).…”

“…Instead, a default right-to-left iambic rhythm was assigned for each stem (Ito, 2013). Subsequent weak vowel syncope, apocope, and various tone deletion and contraction processes gave rise to the MK tone system (see Ramsey 1986, Ito 2013 for more details). Ramsey (1986) initially proposed this idea through an examination of verbal stems, and Whitman (1994) later demonstrated that the nominal stems exhibit a similar pattern.…”

“…However, because sonorants can bear a tone, the H tone in the second syllable was not deleted. Likewise, for nominal stems, Whitman (1994) and Ito (2013) reconstructed *CVC[+voice] for H stems and *CVC[+voice]V for R stems. For (6c), Whitman (1994) reconstructed *CV with a default tone H, whereas Ito (2013) proposed disyllabic *{ɨ, ʌ}CV(C), arguing that *CV violates the minimal word restriction of PK.…”