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    Short /ɛ/ in monomorphemes
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    Short /ɛ/ occurs freely, and is stressable as well, in all positions other than open syllables word-finally, as in emmer /'ɛ.mər/ bucket, beste /'bɛs.tə/ best and hotel /ho.'tɛl/ do.. In fact, /ɛ/ is found in only a small number of polysyllabic monomorphemes in word-final, open syllables, most of them place and persons' names adopted from indigenous South African languages, for example in Polokwane name of a place and Molefe ( name of a person).

    In all instances of short vowels, the following topics should be taken into account as important background information:

    As an orientation with respect to all topics concerning stress placement in Afrikaans monomorphemes, the following reference list should be consulted:

    (De Stadler 1981; Combrink and De Stadler 1987; De Stadler 1991; De Villiers 1965; De Villiers and Ponelis 1992; Lee 1963; Le Roux 1936; Le Roux and Pienaar 1927; Lubbe 1993; Wissing 1971; Wissing 1987; Wissing 1988; Wissing 1989; Wissing 1991; Wissing 2017)

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    In the following sections, polysyllabic monomorphemes with /ɛ/ as the nucleus in a closed final syllable are listed, with indications of stress patterns. Examples of words with /n/ and /l/ as codas are taken as representative of the sononant consonants /m/, /n/, /r/, /l/ and /ŋ/; cases with obstruent codas are restricted to /s/ and /t/. In the case of the rest of the sonorants and obstruents, examples are somewhat limited.

    It is significant that, despite the fact that /ɛ/ is classified phonemically as short, with regard to stress behaviour it behaves similarly to long vowels in the same circumstances. As such, stress patterns cannot function as classifying criteria for the phonemic length of vowels.

    [+]Words with sonorant codas

    In the table below, bisyllabic and multisyllabic monomorphemes with /ɛ/ as the nucleus in a closed, final syllable position are listed.

    Closed, final syllable /ɛ/ in bisyllabic and multisyllabic monomorphemes
    Table 1: Closed, final syllable /ɛ/ in bisyllabic and multisyllabic monomorphemes
    Examples
    appel kartel akwarel kolonel
    model kornel bakatel muskadel
    hotel lamel fontenel naturel
    botel lapel frikadel pimpernel
    bretel motel kantarel ritornel
    flanel mistel karomel sitadel
    halel morel kokkerel
    gamel mastel
    kapel prunel
    forel spinel

    1. Generally, /ɛ/ is seldom unstressed in word-final closed syllables: skrapnel and skalpel may be the only monomorphemes in which this is the case; the vowel in el might vary with schwa too.
    2. Sonorant codas other than /l/ are rare; amen, bitumen, item and totem, all with initial stress, and Jerusalem and tentamen, with antepenult and penult stress respectively, are exceptions.
    3. Penultimate syllables are generally open, with exceptions being kartel, kornel and mistel in the case of the bisyllabic type, and muskadel, pimpernel and ritornel in the case of multisyllabic words.
    4. It does not seem that the vowel quality of the penultimate syllable has any effect on stress placement: it is always on the final syllable.

    [+]Words with obstruent codas

    Similar to the situation above, stress placement in words with obstruent codes (see the examples in the table below) is on the final syllable, again irrespective of word length, the structure of penultimate syllables or the vowel quality of preceding nuclei.

    Obstruent codas
    Table 2: Obstruent codas
    s t t t t k k
    abses alfabet etiket kornet portret argitek perfek
    adres amulet falset korset raket aspek spanspek
    anapes ballet faset korvet roset defek subjek
    arres banket filet kotelet servet dialek trajek
    ekspres baret kabaret kwartet sigaret effek verstrek
    handves baronet kabinet loket sonnet gesprek vertrek
    Hercules bidet kadet mansjet sorbet insek voltrek
    kongres biljet karet marionet stilet intellek bestek
    manifes briket kasset oktet tablet korrek direk
    moles brunet kastanjet omelet tibet kusek ontdek
    orkes buffet klaret pakket toilet objek projek
    proses buret klarinet palet trompet perfek respek
    rekwes doeblet kloset pipet violet
    sipres duet koket
    sukses

    1. Almost every word above is bisyllabic.
    2. Final syllables are stressed in the large majority of cases.
    3. Exceptions to (2) include:
      1. s: handves and Hercules (initial syllables stressed). Note that handves, as a pseudo-compound, has typical compound stress; personal nouns, like Hercules, are frequently exceptions to general stress rules.
      2. k: All but insek, kusek and prefek have final stress. direk, objek and subjek sometimes have penultimate stress in informal speech.
    4. A a couple of monomorphemes ending on a coda cluster with /r/ as a constituent exist: dessert; ekspert; koevert; konsert: all with final stress.
    5. Note that words ending on -ek and -es as reduced forms of -ekt and -est (e.g. objekt, projekt, anapest and arrest), are also typically found with final stress.

    In the following table a number of monomorphemes are cited containing -ment as final constituent.

    Monomorphemes containing the suffix -ment
    Table 3: Monomorphemes containing the suffix -ment
    Examples
    amendement element ornament rendement
    amusement enjambement parlement rudiment
    appartement evenement regiment sakrament
    argument fragment perkament sediment
    augment instrument pierement segment
    detriment kompartement pigment supplement
    departement kompliment piment temperament
    dokument konsument reglement testament
    ekskrement ligament sentiment torment
    eksperiment moment

    1. The suffix -ment is stressed in all of the above examples as well as other examples not given here. It is not clear whether this strong affinity for stress is morphologically motivated, or due to the syllable structure of /ɛ/ plus the complex coda /nt/.
    2. This suffix mostly occurs in monomorphemes, although in a restricted number of cases it functions as a derivational morpheme, such as in dreigementdreig threat, medikamentmedikasie medicine, isolementisoleer isolate, and traktementtrakteer treat.

    References
    • Combrink, J.G.H. & De Stadler, L.G1987Afrikaanse fonologie.Macmillan
    • De Stadler, L.G1981Die klemkontoere van die simplekse selfstandige naamwoord in Afrikaans: 'n NGF-siening.Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe21285-295,
    • De Stadler, L.G1991Oor die klemtoon van Afrikaanse simplekse: re Wissing.South African Journal of Linguistics = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde941-46,
    • De Villiers, M1965Aspekte van woordaksent.
    • De Villiers, M. & Ponelis, F.A1992Afrikaanse klankleer.Tafelberg
    • Le Roux, J.J1936Die uitspraak van Afrikaans.Huisgenoot2031,
    • Le Roux, T.H. & Pienaar, P. de V1927Afrikaanse fonetiek.Juta
    • Lee, A.S1963Klem in Afrikaans.Thesis
    • Lubbe, H.J1993Oor die klemtoon van Afrikaanse simplekse: re Wissing én De Stadler.South African Journal of Linguistics = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde118-17,
    • Wissing, D1987Klemtoon en tweesillabige Afrikaanse simplekse: eksperiment.South African Journal of Linguistics = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde5105-139,
    • Wissing, D1989Die klempatrone van Afrikaanse en Nederlandse simplekse: 'n vergelyking.Literator1050-65,
    • Wissing, D1991Is Afrikaans 'n inisiëleklemtoontaal?South African Journal of Linguistics = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde947-57,
    • Wissing, D.P1971Fonologie en morfologie van die simplekse selfstandige naamwoord in Afrikaans: 'n transformasioneel-generatiewe beskrywing.Thesis
    • Wissing, D.P1988Die Afrikaanse en Nederlandse verkleiningsisteme: 'n vergelyking in metries-fonologiese kader.Literator962-75,
    • Wissing, Daan2017FonologieVan Schaik
    About this article
    Author(s): Daan Wissing
    Category: Afrikaans Phonology
    Keywords: stressword-final
    Version: 1.0, May 2020
    Version history:
    version editor(s) date remarks
    1.0 Daan Wissing May 2020
    This is a beta version.
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