LINGUIST List 7.1783

Tue Dec 17 1996

Qs: Moraic theory, Headlines lg, Persian

Editor for this issue: Ljuba Veselinova <ljubalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Paul de Lacy, QUERY: Variably-Weighted CVCs
2. Jenny Halliday, Language of newspaper headlines
3. A A Jabbari, Persian verb classes

Dear Linguists,

I fear I must again post a query on a somewhat obscure matter,
but of significant import to me:

A moraic theory of the syllable predicts that syllables with
geminate consonants will always be heavy. This is because
geminate consonants bear a mora, and so any syllable they appear
in will end up with two moras. In other words, there are (or
should be) languages that treat CV:, CVV, and CVG syllables as
heavy (where G is the first half of a geminate consonant), and
CVC, CV syllables as light.

Counter-examples to this have appeared, where both CVC and CVG
are light. Tranel (1991) cites Selkup, Malayalam, and
Tubatulabal. Hayes (1995) adds Chuvash, Ossetic, and some
Algonquian languages.

My queries are this: (1) Can you please tell me if CVG syllables
are treated as light in any language that you know (of).

(2) Can you tell me if that language has diphthongs (CVV), and
treats them as heavy.

So far, I have found that Selkup, Malayalam, Tubatulabal,
Chuvash, and Ossetic do not have diphthongs. -- Please let me
know if I'm wrong on this point.

Many thanks in advance.

Regards,

Paul de Lacy.
University of Auckland.
- ---------====================================-----------
Phone: [New Zealand] 64-9-6271101
E-mail: University: <pvlantnov1.auckland.ac.nz>
 Home: <delacyvoyager.co.nz>
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To whom it may concern,

I am currently doing research for a paper on the language of
newspaper headlines - comparing the differences between language
used in tabloids and spreadsheets - and discussing the various
implicatures, inferences, entailments present in the language.

I would be very grateful if you would forward to me, any relevant
information.

Many thanks for your help in this matter.

Jenny Halliday

I would appreciate everybody who could explain or provide me with
papers or other references discussing the semantic and syntactic
classification and/or realization of Lexical aspects of Persian
verbs.

Cheers,
Jabbari