Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31823/d.34.2.1
Between Norm and Usage: The Falling Accent on Non-Initial Syllables in Croatian
Borko Baraban
; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek, Department of Culture, Media and Management, Osijek, Croatia
Lorna Rajle
; Community Service Centre Klasje Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Željko Jozić
; Institute of Croatian Language, Department of Dialectology, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This paper examines the normative rule prohibiting falling accents on non-initial syllables in standard Croatian from two key perspectives: a historical one, with particular emphasis on the role of Stjepan Ivšić, and a contemporary one, focusing on orthoepic practice and the development of the linguistic norm. The consistency of accent retraction onto proclitics is analyzed in detail, with specific examples drawn from relevant reference works and from spoken usage as documented in previous research. The study points to a significant discrepancy between the codified norm and actual usage, discusses the responses of contemporary linguists, and considers proposals for normative adjustments, including the concept of a normative hierarchy and the acceptance of the so-called neutral variety. The conclusion argues for the need to systematically revise the accentual norm on the basis of actual language use and sociolinguistic reality.
Keywords
accentual norm; accent shift; non-initial syllable; falling accent; Stjepan Ivšić; orthoepy; proclitics; neutral variety
Hrčak ID:
351437
URI
Publication date:
25.9.2026.
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