On the Reconstruction of Japanese Accents

Abstract

Based on the modern dialects and ancient documents I propose a proto-accent system of the mainland Japanese dialects. For the high-beginning series I hypothesize the falling pattern of the form HHMM-instead of the high-level pattern HHHH-. For the low-beginning series I incorporate the Kyosei tone—that is, words with the rising pitch—into the system. On the whole, the proto-system consists of the two tonal patterns, falling and low-level, and the two accent kernels, rising and lowering, and the system contains more oppositions than that previously proposed.