Dual-Counting Feet in English

Abstract

The syllabic trochee is assumed for English. However, all syllable-counting theories require devices to consult moraic information, guaranteeing the at heavy syllables receive stress. Furthermore, given the standard assumption that a minimal word is a foot, syllable counting theories predict that the minimal word in English is disyllabic. However, this disyllabic minimal word requirement is plainly inadequate. On the other hand, mora-counting is not sufficient, either; Hayes'(1995: 123) moraic trochee theory must refer to syllables in order to guarantee that moras belonging to a single syllable cannot be separated into two different feet, i.e., to preserve syllable integrity. Moreover, extrametricality is defined in terms of syllables rather than moras. These suggest, then, that English needs both moraic and syllabic levels. Consequently, I propose to make both moras and syllables represented in the phonological representations for English.