[Lingtyp] Language change and foot structure

[Randy J. LaPolla]

Hi Matt,
Similar to what David mentions, although it isn’t a single language, within Sino-Tibetan there is a similar geographic difference, with northern languages tending towards trochaic and southern languages tending towards iambic, which we assume was due to influence from the Austro-Asiatic languages in the south.

Randy
——
Professor Randy J. LaPolla（罗仁地), PhD FAHA 
Center for Language Sciences
Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences
Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai Campus
A401, Muduo Building, #18 Jinfeng Road, Zhuhai City, China





> On 18 Aug 2021, at 6:52 PM, David Gil <gil at shh.mpg.de> wrote:
> 
> Dear Matt,
> 
> In colloquial Malay/Indonesian, some dialects are iambic while others are trochaic; with just a few exceptions this follows a geographical pattern, with final stress to the west, penultimate stress to the east.  So presumably the kind of shift you are looking for must have taken place here, in the course of the diversification of Malay/Indonesian dialects.
> 
> As for the directionality of the shift: given that Malay originated in the western part of the archipelago, where foot structure is iambic, one might speculate that this was the original pattern, and that as the language spread eastwards, some varieties switched to trochaic, most likely under the influence of the local substrate languages, many of which have trochaic structure.
> 
> David
> 
> 
> 
> On 17/08/2021 22:07, Matthew Windsor wrote:
>> Dear all,
>> 
>> Is anyone aware of a language where metrical/rhythmic structure has clearly shifted from having right-headed (iambic) feet to left-headed (trochaic) feet or vice versa? I’m studying a language variety where this seems to be the case. It’s a quantity-sensitive system, so the change mainly affects strings of light syllables. Any examples or suggested resources would be helpful, thanks!
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Matt Windsor
>> 
>> Linguistics & Translation Facilitator | SIL Americas, North
>> 
>> Cell: 1-807-631-6656
>> 
>> 
>> ᐅᐦᐅᐁᐧ ᐃᐦᑭᑐᐃᐧᐣ ᑮᐄᐧᔮᐦᓯᐃᐧ ᒦᓇ ᑭᑮᐱᐄᐧᒋᐊᔮᒥᑯᓈᐣ.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> -- 
> David Gil
> 
> Senior Scientist (Associate)
> Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution
> Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
> Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
> 
> Email: gil at shh.mpg.de <mailto:gil at shh.mpg.de>
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