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Guest Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Forming syllables
Usually when there is a consonant-vowel sequence at the beginning of an English word, the vowel is long. Sometimes, however, the consonant that might typically go in the second syllable is “borrowed” by the first syllable, with the result that the vowel in the first syllable now is short. For example, with the word "novel" (a longer work of fiction)--
instead of NO vel, it is NOV el.
Is there a rule that dictates when/why the consonant-shift occurs?
instead of NO vel, it is NOV el.
Is there a rule that dictates when/why the consonant-shift occurs?
Top answer
I don't see how there could be a rule, but at the same time, I am having a little trouble understanding the question. Are you sure that this is not a case of the chicken and the egg? By that I mean -- is it a question of whether the vowel quality determines the syllable divisions or the syllable divisions determine the vowel quality?
- I don't see how there could be a rule, but at the same time, I am having a little trouble understanding the question.
- Are you sure that this is not a case of the chicken and the egg?
- By that I mean -- is it a question of whether the vowel quality determines the syllable divisions or the syllable divisions determine the vowel quality?
- If so, I would have to say that they determine each other simultaneously.
- Is your question more about the vowel quality (long, short) or about syllabification?
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2 Answers
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I don't see how there could be a rule, but at the same time, I am having a little trouble understanding the question. Are you sure that this is not a case of the chicken and the egg? By that I mean -- is it a question of whether the vowel quality determines the syllable divisions or the syllable divisions determine the vowel quality? If so, I would have to say that they determine each other
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Yes, there is - at least a fuzzy one ***
Your 'rule' is generally correct as it is very often true for "Germanic" words, e.g.:
fa-ther, e-vening, ba-con, etc. The first syllable of a word is almost always stressed (Germanic Initial Stress) and vowels in the end of the first syllable are usually long.
This is not always true for words that have been borrowed from Romanic o
Your 'rule' is generally correct as it is very often true for "Germanic" words, e.g.:
fa-ther, e-vening, ba-con, etc. The first syllable of a word is almost always stressed (Germanic Initial Stress) and vowels in the end of the first syllable are usually long.
This is not always true for words that have been borrowed from Romanic o
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