Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.2478/exell-2023-0006
Homogeneity and heterogeneity in lexical stress placement among Ugandan speakers of English as an L2
Monica Adokorach
; Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda
Bebwa Isingoma
; Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda
Abstract
The study delineates divergences that set apart the Ugandan accent from RP with respect to primary lexical stress placement, as well as divergences that evince variability among Ugandans. For example, differences from RP were (almost) homogenously observed in the words effect, cassava, agreement, arrest, alarm, with stress placed on the first syllable of all these nouns, while inter-speaker variability was substantially observed in words such as bursar, further, with some speakers placing stress on both syllables of the words, while others had the stress on the first syllable only. Analogy and underlying substrate influence account for the divergences, with substrate influence considered along the lines of what Wells (1982) refers to as ‘lexical distribution.
Keywords
stress; Ugandan accent; homogeneity; interspeaker variability; English
Hrčak ID:
310611
URI
Publication date:
28.11.2023.
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