'substitute – ,substi'tution
2. e.g. 'reorganize – 'reorgani’zation
'predis'pose – 'pre,disposition
3. e.g. 'palatalize – 'palatali’zation
'solemn – 'solemni'zation
4. e.g. ,incon'siderable – 'incon,side'ration
and others.
There is also a group of accentuation oppositions where compound nouns are opposed to free word combinations, e.g.
a 'blackboard классная доска
a 'black 'board черная доска
a 'dancing-qirl танцовщица
a 'dancing 'girl танцующая девушка
As we have already mentioned, the same distinctive function of word stress is observed in the Russian language. It differentiates words and their grammatical forms, e.g.
The words чудная – чудная, безобразная – безобразная are different lexical units, they differ in meaning.
The words зимы – зимы, беды – беды represent different grammatical forms of the same lexical unit. Both in word-building and in word-formation the shifting of stress is accompanied by the qualitative reduction of the unstressed syllable. Word-formation with the help of the shifting of stress is quite common in Russian as well as in English.
The accentual structure of words is actually very closely interrelated with their semantic value. By way of illustration we shall now analyse a fairly large class of words in English which are marked by two primary stresses (Accentual Type П). They are either compounds consisting of two semantically important stems or words with semantically relevant separable prefixes or the suffix -teen. The accentual pattern of this group of words is regulated by the meaningful weight of the elements of the compounds. Word stress establishes contrastive relationship of the elements and often creates opposition to comparable words.
Most of compound adjectives have two equal stresses as both elements in them are semantically important, e.g. 'absent-''minded, 'left-'handed, 'good-looking.
As soon as the significance of one of the elements of a compound adjective is weakened, its accentual pattern is changed. (Accentual Type I), e.g. 'spring-like, 'nymph-like, 'powder-like; 'oval-shaped, 'bow-shaped.
The same tendency is observed in compound nouns: if their elements are semantically important both elements are equally stressed (Accentual Type П), e.g. 'north-east, 'north-'west, 'south-'west.
At the same time, as we very well know, most of compound nouns have one stress on the first element which is more significant than the second one. They are sometimes opposed to other compounds with the same second element, e.g. 'dining-room – 'bedroom – 'bathroom – 'living-room; 'shop-girl – 'ballet-girl.
Compound verbs have two equal stresses as their postpositions change the actual meaning of the verb itself as it is illustrated in the following example:
What shall I do with it? – 'Put it where it was.
– 'Put it on.
– 'Put it off.
Oppositions are also found among compound verbs:
to 'switch 'on – to 'switch 'off
to 'turn 'on – to 'turn 'off
Words with meaningful prefixes are likewise semantically opposed to those without prefixes. Compare:
'educated – 'un'educated
'regular – 'ir'regular
'please – 'dis'please
'cyclone – 'anti'cyclon
,under'stand – 'misunder'stand
Compound numerals have naturally two equal stresses, making both elements significant, e.g. 'twenty-'three, 'sixty-'five.
Numerals with the -teen suffix are marked by two stresses to oppose them to the numerals with the unstressed suffix -ty. If the suffix -feen is not stressed the vowel [i:] in it is shortened and obscured, the sonant [n] is weakened, there is consequently a danger of misunderstanding, e.g.
'What page is it? ||
'Seven teen. ||
– 'Seven ,teen | or seventy? |||
The above-given illustrations show how important it is in teaching practice to make the students realize that the accentual structure of words is conditioned by the semantic interrelation of their elements. The teacher should attract the students' attention to the correlation between the accentual and semantic structures of words which will save the students many mistakes.
The regulation of the accentuation in the Russian language is too complicated and is practically unpredictable. The stress may fall on the same morpheme in the derivatives where word-formation is performed by the grammatical means alone, e.g. кожа – кожи – кожей – кожу; год – годы – годом. In another group of words the stress may effect different morphemes of the word participating in the word-formation alongside with the grammatical means, e.g. сад – сады – садами – садом; пар – пары – парами – паром; but: пара – пары – парами – парам.
R.I.Avanesov considers the variability in the placement of the Russian word stress an individual sign of every particular word which presents a difficulty for foreign learners and sometimes for the natives.
It is interesting to note that Russian word stress may have stylistic distinction and poetic usage, cf. молодец – молодец, девица – девица, шёлковый – шелковый.
The complicated system of the accentual structure of English words makes teacher trainees be very attentive to the subject. The typical mistakes of Russian learners in the sphere of word stress are the mispronunciation of: 1) words with the main and secondary stresses (,conver’sational); 2) words with two equal stresses in connected speech (‘up'stairs, 're'organize); 3) words with the full vowel in the unstressed syllable ('architect).
The instability of English accentual structure of words presents much difficulty for Russian learners. Students' attention should be attracted to English multisyllabic words the accentual structure of which is regulated by the rhythmical tendency and the use of the secondary stress in those words, as it has no analogy in the Russian language, compare: 'transpor’tation – транспортировка, de,mocrati’zation – демократизация.
Anolher group of words presenting difficulty for Russian learners is large group of compounds which are marked either by two equal stresses (compound adjectives) or by one stress (compound nouns). The semantic factor in defining the accentual structure of compounds should be most decisive, as it has been illustrated above. One more group of words requires learners' attention, the group which forms accentual oppositions of different parts of speech by way of conversion accompanied by the shifting of stress, e.g. 'combine (n) – combine (v), 'insult (n) – in'sult (y).
In case of doubt it is advisable to consult a pronouncing dictionary.
The accentual structure of English words in speech continuum is inseparably connected with the rhythmic organization of speech chain which will be thoroughly discussed in Chapter V.
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