2019 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 35-51
It is well known that the dialects with two-pattern prosodic systems in Kyusyu generally follow the so-called “Shiki-hozon” rule, which is as follows: the prosodic pattern of a compound word coincides with that of the first element of the compound word.
On the other hand, in the Kitagata dialect with a three-pattern prosodic system, the Shiki-hozon rule does not apply to all the compound words, resulting in quite a few exceptions to the rule, although it is admitted that there is an overall tendency for the prosodic patterns of compound words to be determined by their first element.
This paper analyzes the data of 1-mora+3-mora compound nouns and 2-mora+3-mora ones and attempts to give a synchronic and diachronic account of why such exceptions occur in the Kitagata dialect. As for the diachronic aspects, the paper points to the fact that compound nouns starting with a C-type-toned element tend to have a B-type tone contrary to the Shiki-hozon rule, and goes on to propose a hypothesis that this synchronically irregular tendency resulted from a tonal change similar to the one called “Taikeihenka” which had occurred in Kyoto during the Muromachi era.
