Variability of Accent Patterns and Syllable Structures in Five-Mora Loanwords

Abstract

In five-mora loanwords, the accentual pattern varies depending on the syllable structures. For instance, as for loanwords containing the LHH structure, only the traditional patterns appear, while in those containing the HHL structure, half of them do not show the traditional patterns but exhibit novel forward accentuation. This study focuses on such variability and, through an analysis of the accent and phonological structure of five-mora loanwords, demonstrates that the proportion of accentuation is influenced by three factors: the constraint of WSP, the word-final epenthetic vowel, and the internal structure of the penultimate heavy syllable. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the presence of a binary foot in the predicted position of forward accent is a prerequisite for the forward accentuation.