Contact: +91-9711224068
International Journal of Applied Research
  • Multidisciplinary Journal
  • Printed Journal
  • Indexed Journal
  • Refereed Journal
  • Peer Reviewed Journal

ISSN Print: 2394-7500, ISSN Online: 2394-5869, CODEN: IJARPF

IMPACT FACTOR (RJIF): 8.4

Vol. 7, Issue 4, Part B (2021)

Word-minimality vis-à-vis morphophonemics of genitives in NKB

Word-minimality vis-à-vis morphophonemics of genitives in NKB

Author(s)
Shyamal Das
Abstract
The constraint of word-minimality stipulates that every grammatical word is a prosodic word: every content word must have a foot. Preferred foot type across languages is a disyllabic (mostly) trochee. Bimoraicity sneaks in in the absence of required segmental melody phonologically. The metrics the Noakhali Dialect of Bangla (now on NKB) predominantly falls in line with this general preference. In it (a) scansion takes place left-to-right; (b) only one foot –a syllabic trochee -- is constructed aligned with the left edge; (c) all syllables are light (L) i.e., long vowels or diphthongs are not distinctive in terms of weight value (both monomoraic) and codas are not moraic. Corollary: no iterativity is practiced; quantity sensitivity/insensitivity is ruled out. Compounds are kept out of consideration here. Focusing only on genitive suffixation the paper explores the NKB mechanism/s to fulfill word minimum requirements. The paper arrives at the following findings:
a)NKB has an undominated constraint for syllabic trochee of (LL) type. If the base is monosyllabic phonetic lengthening is resorted to ensure moraic binarity for a trochee.
b) Under affixation of the genitive –Er/-er the incoming mora of the suffixal vowel is put into service as mora-provider, and simultaneously moraic lengthening of the base vowel is discarded/not required.
c) –Er/-er is the UR form of the genitive suffix, not –r. The latter is at the most an allomorph of the former.
d) Word minimality condition is satisfied at every level through a disyllabic/bimoraic foot.
e) As for morphophonemics, vowel lengthening at phonetic level is resorted to as and when needed. Neither vowel epenthesis nor deletion is attested. Vowel assimilation creeps in and ensures the clandestine presence of the suffixal vowel –E/e.
Pages: 73-82  |  435 Views  77 Downloads
How to cite this article:
Shyamal Das. Word-minimality vis-à-vis morphophonemics of genitives in NKB. Int J Appl Res 2021;7(4):73-82.
Call for book chapter
International Journal of Applied Research
Journals List Click Here Research Journals Research Journals