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Latest post Tue, Sep 25 2007 4:08 AM by CalifJim. 4 replies.
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Mno3195  +  419931 Mon, 17 Sep 07 08:55 AM

Hi folks:

I would like to know some details about how affix cause stress shift espeicially in multi-syllable words.

I heard that Latin and Greek suffix play an important role in stress shift.Any detail or recommend website that I can refer to?Any website regarding stress patterns or how suffix causing stress shift I can refer to?

Thanks

Joined on Sat, Aug 25 2007
Louisiana
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Mister Micawber  +  419949 Mon, 17 Sep 07 09:54 AM

Offhand, I would say that the addition of affixes other than negative or negative-like prefixes do not generally affect word stress, since they are usually unstressed themselves-- but that there are also many exceptions.

I don't know of any dedicated websites, though most grammar sites probably mention it in passing.  Try googling around a bit.

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Mno3195  +  420129 Mon, 17 Sep 07 06:15 PM

 Mister Micawber wrote:

Offhand, I would say that the addition of affixes other than negative or negative-like prefixes do not generally affect word stress, since they are usually unstressed themselves-- but that there are also many exceptions.

I don't know of any dedicated websites, though most grammar sites probably mention it in passing.  Try googling around a bit.

Thanks,how about suffixes?

Alienvoord, 2 yr 64 days ago
not about stress shift, but you might find it interesting: trisyllabic laxing
CalifJim  +  423234 Tue, 25 Sep 07 04:08 AM
Typical Greek suffixes.

Primary stress on the third syllable from the end.
(First vowel shown may vary.)

ocracy, opathy, otony, otany, otomy, ophony, ology, onomy, otrophy, ogamy, ography, ophany, osophy, ognomy, ogony, omaly, opoly, ogeny, ochrony, ochromy, olatry, omathy, ometry, onymy, oscopy, otropy, ometer, opolis, anthropy, abola

Also:   -ysis, -esis, but NOT -osis.

Instead of the -y ending, these can have -ize (onomize, opolize),  -ous (ogamous, omalous), -ist (onomist, ometrist), -ism (ologism), or -er (onomer, ographer).

Ex:  democracy, monotony, lobotomy, theology, atrophy, geography, philosophy, anomaly, monopoly, synchrony, idolatry, trigonometry, barometer, metropolis, parabola, analysis, synthesis, monopolize, astronomer, photographer

Without the final -y, the stress moves back one syllable.  But then it remains on the third syllable from the end.

Ex:  democrat, monotone, catalog, photograph, synonym, telescope

Substituting the adjectival -ic for -y or -sis moves the primary stress to the second syllable from the end, and may cause other changes (in consonants).

Ex:  democratic, geographic, philosophic, analytic, synthetic

Secondary stress on the second syllable from the end.  The primary stress is earlier in the word.

doxy, plasty, archy, morphy, mony

Ex:  orthodoxy, rhinoplasty, alimony

As above, without final -y, but here the primary stress is on the third syllable from the end.  In effect, the change of removing -y does not shift the syllable that takes the primary stress.

Ex:  orthodox, oligarch

Primary stress on the second syllable from the end.

osis

Ex:  diagnosis, prognosis

With -ic stress is on the second syllable from the end.

Ex:  diagnostic

CJ
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