Raspodela deklinacija i uslovi krajnjeg obezvučavanja u srpskohrvatskom jeziku
The Distribution of Declensions and the Conditions for the Devoicing of the Final Consonants in Serbo-Croat
Author(s): Stanimir RakićSubject(s): Phonetics / Phonology, Lexis, Sociolinguistics, South Slavic Languages
Published by: Institut za jezik
Keywords: Serbo-Croatian language; declination; consonant; grammar; genus; foreign loanword;
Summary/Abstract: I show in this paper that a final consonant may be voiced in SC only in monosyllabic words, in compounds whose second element is monosyllabic, or in words which have length on the last syllable. If a word does not belong to any of these categories, and ends in a voiced consonant, it must undergo feminine a-declension. This rule accounts for the grammatical gender of a large class of nouns. Some foreign borrowings seem not to comply with this rule. I argue, however, that in these cases doublets characteristically appear in SC dictionaries since these words are often pronounced with a voicelles final consonant. I further argue that the rule of final-devoicing plays a major role in the adoption of foreign borrowings. And this is a fact which agrees well with the notion of competence of the native speakers.
Journal: Književni jezik
- Issue Year: 13/1984
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 69-74
- Page Count: 6
- Language: Serbian