Syllable weight

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In linguistics, syllable weight is the concept that syllables pattern together according to the number and/or duration of segments in the rime.

A heavy syllable is a syllable with a branching nucleus or a branching rime. A branching nucleus generally means the syllable has a long vowel or a diphthong; this type of syllable is abbreviated CVV. A syllable with a branching rime is a closed syllable, that is, one with a coda (one or more consonants at the end of the syllable); this type of syllable is abbreviated CVC. In some languages, both CVV and CVC syllables are heavy, while a syllable with a short vowel as the nucleus and no coda (a CV syllable) is a light syllable. In other languages, only CVV syllables are heavy, while CVC and CV syllables are light. Some languages distinguish a third type, CVVC syllables (with both a branching nucleus and a coda) and/or CVCC syllables (with a coda consisting of two or more consonants) as superheavy syllables.

In moraic theory, heavy syllables are analyzed as containing two moras, light syllables one, and superheavy syllables three.

The distinction between heavy and light syllables plays an important role in the phonology of some languages, especially with regards to the assignment of stress.

 

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