ACCENT

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide an introduction to the study of accent. It begins with a definition of accent and goes on to present succinctly the ‘classical’ generative approach to this linguistic phenomenon, as well as the autosegmental approach. The second section deals with prosodic properties, which enable the speaker to produce accent and to identify the accent-bearing unit. It defines the unit to which accent is assigned and the domain within which it is realised. It also offers a brief observation on the hierarchical nature of prosodic prominence and seeks to explain the crucial differences between prosodic properties and phonemic distinctive features. The last section is devoted to the typological classification of the world’s languages with regard to their accent systems.