DIRECTION OF STRESS SHIFTS IN NOUN-VERB PAIRS AND PROGRESSIONS IN AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH

Abstract

This paper is a follow-up investigation of Sherman’s (1975) study on stress shifts. The new paroxytonic stresses since 1975 among Sherman’s 215 oxytones and 150 diatones, together with the present stress patterns of the 252 N-V pairs under 12 prefixes examined here, in American and British English, clearly delineate an ‘Oxytone → Diatone → Paroxytone’ migration path. This constitutes a departure from Sherman’s two-origin (‘O → D’ and ‘P → D’) theory of diatone formation as well as disproves his claim that present paroxytone pairs have not undergone any shift to diatonic status. Phonotactic structures (Secondary Stress, first syllable coda, and [-t/d] ending) have no bearing on stress shifts.