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    Stress in adjectival compounds
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    In adjectival compounds, the rightmost constituent is an adjective (A), while the initial constituent can be:

    1. a noun (N),
    2. an adjective (A),
    3. a verb (V)
    Most adjectival compounds are of the type weak-strong, though NA compounds may also be of the strong-weak type. This difference in stress placement, however, does not hold in attributive position, where stress is on the first constituent, so that the contrast between strong-weak and weak-strong neutralizes.

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    [+]NA compounds

    NA compounds are normally stressed on the second constituent, but can also be stressed on the first one. Examples are given in (1):

    1
    a. NA compounds: weak-strong pattern
          fûgelfaai [[fûgel][faai]] [ˌfu.ɣəl.'fa:j] outlawed
          wrâldfrjemd [[wrald][frjemd]] [vrɔ:t.'frjɛmt] unworldly
          libbenslang [[libbens][lang]] [ˌlɪb.bə̃z.'laŋ] lifelong
          pikswart [[pik][swart]] [pɪk.'swat] pitch-black
          sniewyt [[snie][wyt]] [sniə.'vit] snow-white
          iiskâld [[iis][kâld]] [i:s.'kɔ:t] ice-cold
          oksedom [[okse][dom]] [ˌok.sə.'dom] as dumb as an ox
          kûgelfrij [[kûgel][frij]] [ˌku.ɣəl.'frɛj] bulletproof
    b. NA compounds: strong-weak pattern
          earmsterk [[earm][sterk]] ['jɛrm.stɛrk] muscular
          wetterkâld [[wetter][kâld]] ['vɛt.tər.ˌkɔ:t] clammy
          kleureblyn [[kleure][blyn]] ['kløə.rə.ˌblin] colour blind
          paadwiis [[paad][wiis]] ['pa:t.vi:s] familiar
          lûklam (wêze) [[lûk][lam]] ['luk.lam] slogging along heavily
          seesiik [[see][siik]] ['se:.si:k] seasick
          snieblyn [[snie][blyn]] /'sniə.blin/ snow-blind
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    In attributive position, stress shifts to the first constituent, as in in wrâldfjemd figuer an unwordly person and in kûgelfrij fest a bulletproof vest, where the adjectives are realized as ['vrɔ:t.frjɛmt] and ['ku.ɣəl.ˌfrɛj], respectively.

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    There are also a few NA univerbations, in which the A is a present participle. Stress falls on the first constituent. Examples are given in (2):

    i
    tiidslinend [[tiid][slinend]] ['ti:t.sli.nənt] time-consuming
    kantroerend [[kant][roerend]] ['kɔnt.ruə.rənt] closely
    leabrekkend [[lea][brekkend]] ['lɪə.brɛk.kənt] physically heavy (work)
    fleisitend [[fleis][itend]] ['flajz.i.tənt] carnivorous
    [+]AA compounds

    AA compounds are always stressed on the second constituent, as exemplified in (3):

    2
    a. coordinate AA compounds
          manysk-depressyf [[manysk][depressyf]] [ma:.nizɡ-de:.prɛs.'sif] manic-depressive
          blau-wyt [blau][wyt]] [blɔw-'vit] blue-white
    b. subordinate AA compounds
          ierryp [[ier][ryp]] [iər.'rip] precocious
          wiidferneamd [[wiid][ferneamd]] [vi:t.fə.'nɪəmt] far-famed
          ljochtblau [[ljocht][blau]] [ljɔɣd.'blɔw] light blue
          lêstneamd [[lêst][neamd]] [lɛ:st.'nɪəmt] last (named/mentioned)
    extra

    In attributive use, stress shifts to the first constituent, both in coordinate and subordinate AA compounds. This means that the adjectives in, for instance, de manysk-depressive man the manic-depressive man and in ljochblau jaske a light blue jacket, have the stress patterns ['ma:.nisk.ˌde:.prɛs.ˌsivə] and ['ljɔɣd.blɔw], respectively.

    extra

    There are also a few AA univerbations, in which the second A is a present participle. Stress falls on the final constituent. Examples are given in (4):

    i
    wiidfiemjend [[wiid][fiemjend]] [vi:t.'fiəm.jənt] comprehensive
    frijbliuwend [[frij][bliuwend]] [frɛj.'bljo:.wənt] free of obligations
    heechsteand [[heech][steand]] [he:x.'stɪənt] high-minded

    In attributive use, stress shifts to the first constituent, as in in wiidfiemjend útstel [ẽ 'vi:t.fiəm.jənt yt.stɛl] a comprehensive proposal and in heechsteand man [ən 'he:x.stɪənt mɔn] a high-minded man. The adjective selsrizend self-raising is also of this type; it only occurs in the collocation selsrizend bakmoal self-raising flour, so that it only shows up with initial stress: ['sɛlz.ri:.zənd bak.moəl].

    [+]VA compounds

    VA compounds are very rare. They have stress on either the first or the second constituent, as the examples in (5) show:

    3
    a. VA compounds: weak-strong pattern
          fonkelnij [[fonkel][nij]] [ˌfoŋ.kəl.'nɛj] brand new
          farklear [[far][klear]] [far.'klɪər] ready to sail
          printree [[print][ree]] [prɪnt.'re:] ready for printing
    b. VA compounds: strong-weak pattern
          praatsiik [[praat][siik]] ['pra:t.si:k] chatty
          keapsjoch [[keap][sjoch]] ['kɪəp.sjox] presentable
    extra

    In attributive position, stress shifts to the first constituent, which only has an effect on the VA compounds with a weak-strong pattern ((5a)). Take har fonkelnije fytske her brand new tricycle, where fonkelnij is realized as ['foŋ.kəl.ˌnɛj].

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    More details about adjectival compounds can be found in Adjectival compounds.

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      About this article
      Author(s): Willem Visser, Joke Weening
      Category: Frisian Phonology
      Keywords: stressadjectival compound
      Version: 1.0, December 2015
      Version history:
      version editor(s) date remarks
      1.0 Willem Visser, Joke Weening December 2015
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