Stress, tonal alignment and syllabification in Greek

Abstract

The present study is an experimental investigation of tonal alignment and syllabification as a function of stress production in Greek. The results of a production experiment show that the onset of the tonal rise alignment of the stressed syllable is within a 0-48 ms region. This tonal alignment is associated with the first intervocalic consonant, unless the phonotactic structure of the syllable on the right is violated. These findings indicate that tonal production structure and tonal alignment are major acoustic correlates of syllabification. On the other hand, the phonotactic structure of the syllable on the right overrides any syllabification on the basis of the open syllable structure, which is predominant in Greek.

Stress and syllable structure durations in Greek

“…This evidence is based on tonal structure and the production of voice fundamental frequency (F0), the rise of which is aligned with the beginning of the syllable, be it consonant or vowel. In accordance with the results of the above study (Chaida et al 2012), the alignment of the F0 rise as a function of second syllable stress production was associated with either the first or second intervocalic consonant. In the former case, the phonotactics of the syllable on the right were not violated whereas, in the latter case, were violated.…”

“…A related to syllable structure study has provided experimental evidence that syllabification in Greek is mainly accomplished with reference to the non-violation of the phonotactics of the onset constituent of the syllable on the right (Chaida et al 2012). This evidence is based on tonal structure and the production of voice fundamental frequency (F0), the rise of which is aligned with the beginning of the syllable, be it consonant or vowel.…”