When Prosody Follows Syntax : Verbal Stems in Czech

ZIKOVÁ, Markéta. When Prosody Follows Syntax : Verbal Stems in Czech. Linguistica Brunensia. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2016, vol. 64, No 1, p. 163-185. ISSN 1803-7410.

Basic information

• Original name: When Prosody Follows Syntax : Verbal Stems in Czech
• Authors: ZIKOVÁ, Markéta (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Linguistica Brunensia, Brno, Masarykova univerzita, 2016, 1803-7410.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 60203 Linguistics
• Country of publisher: Czech Republic
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: Digitální knihovna FF
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14210/16:00087746
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords in English: Syntax-Phonology Interface; Verbal Stem; Prosodic Template; Vowel Length Alternations; Vowel- Zero Alternations; Czech
• Tags: Reviewed

Abstract

This paper examines syntactic and prosodic constituency within a verbal stem in Czech. Working in the frameworks of Nanosyntax and Strict CV, I argue that syntax-to-prosody mapping is direct to the extent that prosodic domains correspond to particular syntactic constituents. On the basis of two vocalic alternations, namely vowel-zero alternations in verbal prefixes and roots and alternations in vowel length in roots and theme suffixes, I show that the perfective verbal stem represented by a linear string prefix-root-theme is parsed into three prosodic constituents, [prefixroot], [root-theme] and [prefix-root-theme]. These prosodic domains correspond to three syntactic constituents: VP and a lower and higher projection of the theme suffix respectively. The crucial point of the syntactic analysis is that the prefix undergoes phrasal movement: it is generated next to the root in VP and when the theme is added, it moves to its specifier. In the [prefix-root] constituent, the vocalization pattern of the prefix is established. The constituents comprising theme suffixes are prosodic domains in which a general rule (called the infinitival template) operates; this rule in effect lengthens underlying long vowels in monosyllabic infinitives.

Links

• GA14-04215S, research and development project: Name: Morfonologie češtiny: alternace vokalické délky

Investor: Czech Science Foundation