Stress
The word stress in Macedonian is antepenultimate, meaning it falls on the third from last syllable in words with three or more syllables, and on the first or only syllable in other words. This is sometimes disregarded when the word has entered the language more recently or from a foreign source. The following rules apply:
- Disyllabic words are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
For example, дете ('child'), мajкa ('mother') and тaтко ('father').
- Trisyllabic and polysyllabic words are stressed on the third-to-last syllable.
For example, планина ('mountain'), планината ('the mountain'), and планинарите ('the mountaineers').
Exceptions include:
- Verbal adverbs: e.g. викaјќи ('shouting'), одејќи ('walking').
- Foreign loanwords: e.g. клише ('cliché'), генеза ('genesis'), литература ('literature').
- A number of anthroponyms (ex. Александар, 'Alexander') and toponyms (ex. Канада, 'Canada').
Read more about this topic: Macedonian Phonology
Famous quotes containing the word stress:
“A society which is clamoring for choice, which is filled with many articulate groups, each urging its own brand of salvation, its own variety of economic philosophy, will give each new generation no peace until all have chosen or gone under, unable to bear the conditions of choice. The stress is in our civilization.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“While ... we cannot and must not hide our concern for grave world dangers, and while, at the same time, we cannot build walls around ourselves and hide our heads in the sand, we must go forward with all our strength to stress and to strive for international peace. In this effort America must and will protect herself.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“In the stress of modern life, how little room is left for that most comfortable vanity that whispers in our ears that failures are not faults! Now we are taught from infancy that we must rise or fall upon our own merits; that vigilance wins success, and incapacity means ruin.”
—Agnes Repplier (1858–1950)