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Classic Mayan Accent From A Comparative Perspective
Classic Mayan Accent From A Comparative Perspective
Wasteko
C H O L T I
(MANCHE)
1. †KABIL
2. AWAKATEK
3. TAPACHULTEK (non-M)
4. TZ'UTUJIL
The Mayan Language Family
(Kaufman 2017:66-67, figure 4.2a-b)
Accent (or stress) refers to a relative emphasis or prominence
given to a vowel within a syllable, often by increasing its
volume, raising its pitch, lengthening the vowel, and/or fully
pronouncing the vowel. Unstressed vowels, by contrast, can be
subject to reduction, alteration, and omission.
Compare:
English photograph /ˈfoʊtəgræf/ vs. photographer /fəˈtɒɡrəfər/
Because of such developments, accentuation has long been
recognized as playing a critical role in language change.
Some languages have fixed stress, meaning that the accent
regularly falls on a particular syllable, such as the final syllable
(Armenian), the penult (Nahuatl, Quechua), the antepenult
(Macedonian), or the first syllable (Finnish, Icelandic).
Other languages place the accent on different syllables. When
predictable, as in Classical Latin, the language is said to have a
regular stress rule. If unpredictable, as in English and Spanish,
we say that the language has variable or phonemic stress.
Clitics like -que ‘and’ and -vel ‘or’ do not affect accentuation.
Thus in, e.g., Senātus Populusque Rōmānus the stress remains
on the initial syllable of populus despite the added syllable.
Unmarked Spanish accents follow two rules
1. words ending in -V, -n, or -s stress the penult
Ch. W.
iník ínik person
čavál čábal ground
k'itá k'i:tsá: day
1940
viii.
c = x [š]
q = k
tc = ch [č]
x = h
Charles Wisdom, Materials on the Chorti Language, 1950
(courtesy University of Chicago Library)
MCMMA 28, p. 23
(courtesy University of Chicago Library)
Stress
The general rule is that stress falls on the last vowel of the word. ... This rule
applies in all cases in which the last vowel is immediately preceded by a
consonant (other than -h- or -x-), -w-, -y-, or another single vowel with which
it does not coalesce:
púhui
móhoi
tcíhir
póhop
b'áhan, solitude
áhan, a running.
áhan, a sounding out.
Verbal constructions with the final
interrogative –ka take the accent on the
syllable preceding the interrogative
heavy syllable stress, default final final stress, unless short, then penult
canonical final stress canonical penult stress
final stress, unless penult ends in ’, h, or j canonical initial stress
Dos Pilas, Hieroglyphic Stairway 2, East, Step 2
(photo by Marc Zender)
(December 23, 650) Dos Pilas defeated by Yuhknoom Ch'een II of Calakmul. Bajlaj Chan K'awiil
of Dos Pilas escaped to Aguateca.
K'UH-MUT-AJAW
k'uh[ul] mut[al] ajaw
god-ADJ ?-REL lord
Holy Mutal lord
La Corona Element 56
(drawing by Mary Kate Kelly)
6-IK' KAJ-yi
5-YAX-SIJOOM-ma AHK-TUUN-ni
HUL-sa-ni u-19-la-ta
AJ-SAK-NIK-TE' 12-‘Imix’
4-SAK-SIJOOM-ma
ti-JOY-ja-AJAW
ke na
awinakeen
a- winak =een
2SA- man =1SB
“I’m your man”
(PNG Panel 3, photo courtest Jorge Pérez de Lara)
pu-lu a-JOL
pul=u a-jol
hit=IMP 2SA-head
Hit your head!
u-tz'u a-wi-ti
utz'=u aw-it
smell=IMP 2SA-ass
Smell your ass!
(photo courtesy Justin Kerr, K1398)
I propose that Classic Maya accent was governed by two rules:
1. stress the final vowel of disyllabic roots and stems