Knowledge base · Part IV — Prosody and the Pitch-Accent System · this topic as a network
25. Lexical/Contrastive Accent and Minimal Pairs
How does the language distinguish rule-derived accent from lexically specified accent, as shown by minimal pairs?
Minimal and near-minimal pairs
What minimal pairs illustrate lexical contrast in accent?
Across Ainu dialects with pitch accent, a small number of minimal pairs contrast solely in the position of pitch accent (reported in Shiraishi 2022: 13.5). In Saru Ainu, a fixed set of words have irregular accent on an open initial syllable, creating minimal pairs distinguished solely by accent position; these include forms such as cápe, húci, húra, húre, káni, kéra, kúsuwep, míci, mína, nína, niná, and nísap (Nakagawa 2024: 51). In Hokkaido Ainu, the adverb tetá 'the other day' contrasts in accent with téta 'here', providing a further illustration of accent-only opposition (Satō 2008: 186).
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Functional load of the accent contrast
What is the functional load of the accent contrast?
In Shizunai Ainu, only a small number of minimal pairs are distinguished solely by accent, indicating that the functional load of the accent contrast is low in that dialect (Refsing 1986: 75).
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