Syllable-based Edge Parameter Analysis of Old English Stress

                               Abstract

     The introduction of the new concept of the Edge parameter in
Halle and Idsardi (1993), and Idsardi (1992) has created new
challenges in the field of metrical phonology.  Naturally, a new
theory has to be verified by checking out external data not used in
developing the theory.  This paper examines the applicability of the
theory to the data in Old English (henceforth OE) and investigates the
mechanism of OE stress assignment, revealing that the OE data are
fairly well accounted for, and that OE stress placement is far simpler
using the syllable-based analysis within this framework compared with
the mora-based analysis.
     In other words, we show that the stress assignment (i.e., the
secondary stress as well as the primary stress) of Old English can be
well accounted for by the syllable-based stress parameter settings in
conjunction with Binary Constituent Preference (BCP) for general Edge.
Moreover, High Vowel Deletion in Old English can be also explained,
utilizing the "open-end" concept.
     The weight of the first syllable fills the role of the trigger of
the stress rules, along with relevant constraints: if the first
syllable is heavy, "Project: L" is triggered, with binary constituent
construction from the end of the word independently by "ICC: L"; and
if the first syllable is light, "general Edge: LLL" is triggered, with
the presumed binary constituent construction from the beginning of the
word by BCP.                        ( by Eiji Yamada, July 28, 1994)