On the Secondary Rhythmical Stress in the Standard Lithuanian Language

Abstract

    This article introduces the initial results and observations of the research which aims to find out whether the secondary rhythmical stress exists in the standard Lithuanian language. The research is based on the theory of metrical phonology, according to which the secondary rhythmical stress falls on every second syllable to the left and to the right of the main stress. The first step of this research includes the comparison of the first and the second pre-stressed, as well as the first and the second post-stressed vowels of the same quality. All the material analysed in the research is obtained from sound recordings: 10 speakers read out 22 sentences three times. Praat software was used to analyse quantity, the average and maximum pitch (of men’s and women’s voices separately), and the average and maximum intensity of vowels. The second step of the research features an auditory experiment, in which the respondents were asked to listen to 23 words without primary stressed syllables (these syllables were cut off in the recordings) and mark that syllable, which they considered to be stressed.