Metrical Phonology - Metrical Parameters

Metrical Parameters

Hayes (1981) describes four metrical parameters which can be used to group languages according to their word-level stress patterns.

1. Right-dominant vs. left-dominant: In a right-dominant language nodes on the right are labeled S, while in a left-dominant language nodes on the left are labeled S.
2. Bounded vs. unbounded: In a bounded language the main stress appears a fixed distance from the word boundary and the secondary stress appears at fixed intervals from other stressed syllables. In an unbounded language the main stress is drawn to 'heavy' syllables (syllables with long vowels and/or consonants at the end of the syllable). Within bounded languages, two more parameters apply: left-to-right vs. right-to-left and quantity sensitive vs. insensitive.
3. Left-to-right vs. right-to-left: In a left-to-right language metrical trees are constructed starting at the left edge of the word, while in a right-to-left language, they start at the right edge of the word.
4. Quantity-sensitive vs. quantity-insensitive: In a quantity-sensitive language a W node cannot dominate a heavy syllable, while in a quantity-insensitive language tree construction is not influenced by the internal makeup of the syllables.