<OT> New Posting: ROA-826

[roa at ruccs.rutgers.edu]

ROA 826-0506

Focal Pitch Accents and Subject Positions in Spanish: Comparing Close-to-Standard Varieties and Argentinean Porteno

Christoph Gabriel <cgabriel at uos.de>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=826


Abstract:
In Spanish focus can be signaled by both prosodic and syntactic
means. However, it remains controversial how these two components
depend on one another. Based on the analysis of experimental
data I argue that in Spanish focus is primarily expressed
by intonation. Unlike most Spanish dialects, Argentinean
Porteno allows for a tonal distinction between neutral and
contrastive focus in IP-final position; in other positions
focus is signaled through increased F0 values and/or syllable-int
ernal early peak alignment. In addition, reordering of constituen
ts can apply. Movement as a facultative strategy of focus
marking is avoided in sentences with a full DP object, but
strongly preferred with a clitic object. The variation encountere
d in the data is accounted for by combining Minimalist phrase
structure building with the insights of the optimality-theoretic
model of overlapping constraints.

Comments: 
Keywords: Spanish, Argentinean Spanish, intonation, focus, pitch accent, syntax-phonology interface
Areas: Phonology
Type: Conference Proceedings Chapter

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=826