Lithuanian accentuation


In the Lithuanian language, heavy syllables may be pronounced in one of two prosodically distinct ways that are determined by accent and pitch. One way is the acute or falling accent. It may be described as sudden, sharp or rough. The phrase tvirtaprãdė príegaidė has the literal meaning "firm-start accent". The second way is the circumflex or rising accent. It may be described as continued, mild or smooth. The word tvirtagãlė has the literal meaning "firm-end". Short syllables may have stress without the differentiation of an accent.

Heavy syllables distinguished by an accent

Heavy syllables distinguished by an accent include:
In mixed acute diphthongs beginning with i or u, the acute mark is replaced by a grave; this reflects the fact that, in the standard language, the first part of the diphthong is short. In complex diphthongs, the acute accent is marked by an acute diacritic over the first letter and the circumflex by a tilde over the second letter. This indicates a perception that the letter is stronger in some way. For example, a higher pitch or a longer or louder sound, depending on the dialect and speaker. Stressed short vowels are marked by a grave diacritic.

Stress

is free and can occur on any syllable of the word. However, it rarely occurs more than four syllables before the end of the word. Some nouns and adjectives have fixed stress, that is, an accent remains on the same stem syllable in all the inflections. Other nouns and adjectives have mobile stress where the accent moves from place to place, particularly between stem and ending. In each declension of the noun or adjective, there are four accent classes, one fixed and three mobile, all with different patterns of movement.
Stress is a complex of various acoustic features, particularly loudness. Other features such as duration, spectrum and pitch, are of lesser importance in normal speech.
The frequency of syllables stressed at various positions from the ends of words varies: the last syllable is stressed 28.67% of the time; the second last, 53.22% of the time ; the third last, 16.10%, the fourth last, 1.86% and the fifth last, 0.15%., which means that despite the apparent freeness of accentuation, more than 97% of words are in fact stressed on one of the last three syllables. The most distant syllable that can be stressed is the sixth.
Nouns stressed in this way are declined in the same manner as other polysyllabic nouns. For example,
Polysyllabic compound words and prefixed words, usually have one or sometimes two secondary, stresses. The further the secondary stress is from the main stress, the stronger it is. For example,
In international words, which consist of three poorly inter-flowing parts, two secondary stresses may occur. For example,
Long syllables, that is, those containing a long vowel, a diphthong, or a mixed diphthong which ends in a sonorant, may have one of two types of accents: the acute or the circumflex. In an unstressed position, the opposition of the two accents is neutralized and reflected by a circumflex accent.
In dialects, there are cases when words may be differentiated only by the use of accents on unstressed syllables. One example is where an accent determines the declensional case,
In standard language, such a difference would not be emphasized. The m might have an increased emphasis in the case of an ending -e drop in sg. locative.

Syllable nucleus

Mixed and simple diphthongs are present only when they are followed by consonants or when they occur at the end of a word. When they are followed by a vowel, the diphthong is split into two syllables. For instance,
Diphthongs are distinguished from monophthongs by the fact that they do not have short equivalents. Complex diphthongs differ from the others in that the second component is a vowel rather than a consonant, that is, a semivowel or sonorant, and they do not split into two syllables. For example,
Complex diphthongs also differ from monophthongs in that their rise is variable; they are longer than long vowels and, in comparison to au, ai, ei, an accent does not lengthen their parts.
When foreign words are adopted, and there are simple or mixed diphthongs ; the sounds of the o and the e are not lengthened. One exception is the mixed diphthong or which is found in old, nativized foreign words like morkà "carrot" and, gõrčius "measure of about three litres". In this case, the o is long and marked by a circumflex when stressed or written ò when short..
Mixed diphthongs with long vowels can be found in compound words. For example,
These can be compared to other mixed diphthongs where the long vowel is not present such as:
Heavy syllables and diphthongs may have two accents. The presence of minimal pairs, where an accent has a distinctive purpose, is a reason to differentiate between the way the two accents are pronounced. For example,
An accent represents a complex of acoustic features such as, sound quality, quantity, strength, fundamental frequency, and degree of pitch separation. These features may be varied in order to produce dialect and in order to differentiate between two accents when they are present.
The differentiation between two accents present in monophthongs and complex diphthongs is clearest in the Samogitian dialect. It is less so in western Aukštaitian and more assimilated in the eastern and southern Aukštaitian dialects. In the standard language, accents in monophthongs differ with longer circumflex vowels both in diapason and intensity. In practice, however, these distinctions are minor. Similarly, in complex diphthongs, and mixed diphthongs beginning with i and u, the first element of these diphthongs does not lengthen when stressed. On the other hand, simple and mixed diphthongs starting in a and e are clearly differentiated in the standard language. The first part of the diphthong becomes longer and more tense under the acute accent. In eastern and southern Aukštaitian, diphthongs starting in i and u lengthen similarly to those in a and e, and thus the accents can be easily differentiated.
In the Samogitian and western Aukštaitian dialects, variation of pitch and tone is an important way to differentiate accents. For instance, accents may differ in where they appear in time relative to the peak of the pitch and the peak of the diapason. In particular, the acute accent, when depicted as a graph, has a curve with pitch similar to the circumflex, but more sudden. The rise lasts for a shorter time and falls more rapidly. It starts when the pitch is higher and then, after a slight and quick rise, it falls. In comparison, the circumflex accent, when depicted as a graph, has a curve in which the rise lasts longer and falls less rapidly. It begins when the pitch is a little lower than that of the acute, rises slightly to a peak that is later than the acute and then falls at a similar rate but to a lesser extent. The Samogitian dialect also uses the "laužtinė priegaidė", a variant of the acute accent. It is similar to the Latvian broken tone and the Danish stød.
Choice of intonation is used in Lithuanian and other Indo-European languages to determine meaning. The other Indo-European languages include Latvian, Serbo-Croatian and Ancient Greek. Swedish and Norwegian also have tonal distinctions, but these latter are not Proto-Germanic in origin. Rather, they are a Scandinavian innovation where tonal differences have arisen when old monosyllabic words have received an additional vowel, but have kept their original tonal characteristics.

Pronunciation

Kuršaitis, in his "Grammar of the Lithuanian language" called the two accents "sudden" and "continued". He described them as different variations of tone and illustrated them with notes. The circumflex tone is described as a rise of a minor third interval and for the mixed diphthongs as a rise of a perfect fourth interval. The acute tone is described as a fall of a perfect fifth interval.
Jaunius describes strength of voice as an element differentiating between the two accents. The acute accent, tvirtapradė priegaidė changes from stronger and higher to weaker and lower. The circumflex accent, tvirtagalė changes from weaker and lower to stronger and higher.
Pronunciations of the two accents by speakers of dialects have minor differences. Vaitkevičiūtė studied the pronunciation of four words by speakers of different dialects. The words were the singular vocatives rýte, rỹti, sū́ri and, sū̃ri. The dialect speakers were from western Aukštaitians, Veliuona, and Dzūkian.

Western Aukštaitija

In this region, the acute accent is more intense and has a higher pitch; the threshold of pitch between the accented syllable and the following syllable nucleus is larger, and the length of the nuclei of the syllables is shorter. Vowels with an acute are significantly shorter and less intense that vowels with a circumflex.

Veliuona

In this region, the acute accent is pronounced with a higher starting pitch, a shorter length and a similar intensity to the circumflex and the two accents are most easily distinguished.

Dzūkija

In this area, the acute accent over a vowel is shorter and the threshold of pitch between the stressed syllable and the following syllable is smaller than with the circumflex. In rýte and rỹte, the fundamental frequency of the next, unstressed syllable was 78 Hz after an acute accent, and by 88 Hz after a circumflex. The length in rýte, where y = 164 ms; and e = 125 ms versus rỹte where y = 255 ms e = 124 ms.

Articulation and length

When a vowel with an acute is articulated, articulators in mouth tense, the resonance of the epiglottis decreases and the larynx rises. When a vowel with a circumflex accent is articulates, the articulators are less tense, the resonance of the epiglottis increases and the larynx moves down.

Possibilities for accentuation

Vowels

The length of long vowels to complex diphthongs to simple diphthongs with different kinds of accentuation occurs in ratios of 1 : 1.12 : 1.25 with acute accentuation; 1 : 1.02 : 1.08 with circumflex accentuation; and, 1 : 1.09 : 1.15 with no accentuation.
When accentuated short vowels, such as ã or ẽ occur in a non-desinential syllable, either open or closed, they lengthen and always have a circumflex intonation. Their lengthening is not to the extent of a long vowel. Similarly, in this form, they may constitute the first part of a simple or mixed diphthong. For example,
In pronominal forms there is one case, masculine singular dative, where a stressed letter a, being not on the last ending, is acute, for example, a sg. dat. of gerasis – the good: ger-á-jam of indefinite ger-ám.
There are some cases where these two sounds do not lengthen. In verbs, for example: mèsti – to throw, mèstas – thrown. In foreign words: tèmai – theme, subject. The rule of these two root-lengthening sounds does also not fit for sounds stressed in the ending: spalvà 4 – color ; galvà 3 – head ; sodè loc. – in a garden.
Lengthened vowels a, e are of the quality,. Historically, there were long vowels ā, ē, which today are the narrower o, ė.

Lengthening diphthongs

The contrast between the accents in diphthongs starting in a, e is based on the quantity and quality. In acute accented cases, the first element is emphasized: it lengthens, is more tensed, open than the respective element in the circumflex cases. The second element of acute simple diphthongs is more open and less tensed than the respective element of the circumflex diphthongs.
In the circumflex cases the second element is emphasized and lengthened. But for the mixed diphthongs, the circumflex variant can also be pronounced without an emphasis and be understood only as shortness of a first element of a diphthong in a standard language. In some cases, like in a word oppositional to várna 'crow': var̃nas 'raven', the r would occur more likely emphasized, than not. But in some, for example, var̃das 'name', it can occur either emphasized, or not. Such pronunciation and understanding of a circumflex diphthong being more some like without emphasis of any of its two elements, but some like a shortness of a first element, could also fit for aũ, aĩ, eĩ diphthongs, but an emphasis of the second element is characteristic for them too. The first element of circumflex cases is similar to a short unstressed vowel – not tensed, more closed. In an aũ case a vowel a receives a slight o shade.

Not lengthening diphthongs

In the acute cases of the diphthongs starting in i, u, the first element does not lengthen and tense in a standard language, but an emphasis remains. Since it does not lengthen, the acute accent is marked by a grave. The first element of acute mixed diphthongs e, o + l, m, n, r of a foreign origin, does not lengthen as well: hèrbas – coat of arms, spòrtas – sport.
In eastern and southern Aukštaitian, dialects these acute diphthongs are lengthened similarly to a, e starting diphthongs.
In the circumflex cases, articulation is like in a, e starting diphthongs: the second element is emphasized and lengthened.

Long vowels, complex diphthongs

In acute complex diphthongs, the first element is more tensed and closed and the second element more closed, but less tensed than in the circumflex cases, but the two elements do not differ much.
The acute long vowels, similarly, are much more closed and more tensed than the circumflex, but the contrast is lesser than in the complex diphthongs.

Assimilation

The contrast between the two accents in vowels and complex diphthongs is disappearing, because the opposition between the two accents is not present in all the dialects. The base dialects of a standard language cover a smaller area. The standard language is being affected by different dialects, where speakers pronounce the two accents differently.
The mixed diphthongs starting in i, u and a simple diphthong ui are commonly pronounced without noticeable intensifying of one of the appropriate elements in both acute as well as circumflex cases. It is easy to intentionally intensify the second part in the circumflex accent, but it is common too, that it is impossible to extract, hear out them from the standard language, the sounds are pronounced without an attention on emphasizing some accentual oppositions. In a case of the mixed diphthongs starting in a, e the opposition can be understood at least by different quantity of these sounds: lengthened in the acute case, and not lengthen in the circumflex. Such lengthening helps to hold the two accents in the simple diphthongs too, but in this case the lengthening, emphasis of the second element in the circumflex accentuation is characteristic, not unusual.
Among the reasons of unification of accents in, for example, mixed diphthongs, there possibly is the absence of necessity to distinguish between them. For example, in the case of várna 'crow' - var̃nas 'raven', the r would probably usually be emphasized in var̃nas, but in a case of var̃das 'name', where there is no relative acute word, there can be no feeling for a speaker, that he / she should emphasize a sound r. But in these cases the distinction can be understood through quantity of a sound – the acute variant has lengthened a, and the circumflex – not lengthened. So, in diphthongs, the problematic leave i, u starting diphthongs, where a standard language speaker have no means to hear, directly know what type of the accent they should have.

Word part stress and accent

Prefix

Short vowels a, e in a root of a word lengthen when stressed and have a circumflex accent: ã, ẽ: kẽlias - keliù 'road', rãtas - ratù 'wheel'. But these vowels do not lengthen in foreign words, some forms of disyllabic verbs: temà - tèmos 'theme' ; mèsti 'to throw', mèstas 'thrown '

Suffix

Some of the suffixes receive acute, some circumflex accents and some – either of the accents. But in the latter case the words having such suffixes have either the different endings, for example: kaimýnas – neighbour, lentýna – shelf and tėvỹnė – fatherland, lenktỹnės pl. – racing. Or the endings are same, but the words still have differences in meaning: viršū́nė – peak, summit, pinnacle, Valiū́nas, Mickū́nas and klajū̃nė – wanderer, klajū̃nas – wanderer, malū̃nas – mill.

Ending

Long endings, if stressed, are accented in a circumflex accent except a few cases where acute accent occurs – dative singular : gerám, pronominal gerájam ; gẽrai f, pronominal gẽrajai; dative plural: geríems, pron. geríesiems; geróms, pron. gerósioms; naktìms. And in pronominal forms, besides datives, there are more acute ending cases – instrumental singular masculine and feminine: gerúoju, gerą́ja ; pl. acc. masc. and fem.: gerúosius, gerą́sias.
Historically, some endings which are short today, where acute: gerù 'sg. dat. of geras – good' : gerúoju ; keliù 'I am raising; I raise' : keliúosi 'I am getting up; I get up '.
In nouns the singular dative and accusative forms are never stressed in the ending. Some of the declensional cases, which in some of the four accentuation patterns are stressed, in other – not stressed, are short: singular feminine nominative -à, singular instrumental and locative, plural accusative and locative.

Nouns

Lithuanian nominal stems are divided into four accentual classes, usually referred to by their numbers. They are defined by the place and type of the accent. The accent is either steady in the same syllable in all cases, or moves to the ending in one of the three patterns. Here follows the wording along the data, which is also seen in the tables below:
  1. Fixed accent on a non-desinential syllable. If the accent is on a pre-desinential syllable, it carries the acute tone. For polysyllabic words, when they are stressed in the further from the ending syllable than the pre-desinential one is, the type of an accent can be any of the three. When the syllable stressed is further from the ending than the pre-desinential, it is most usually the first syllable of a noun.
  2. Alternation of stress on a short or circumflex pre-desinential syllable with desinential accentuation in a few cases. Only disyllabic nouns.
  3. Alternation of stress on a non-desinential syllable with desinential accentuation. If the accent is on a pre-desinential syllable, it carries the acute tone. Polysyllabic nouns are accented in a further than the pre-desinential syllable from the ending by any kind of the stress. There are only a marginal number of polysyllabic nouns that have stress on a pre-desinential syllable. Place of a stress is in the ending in certain cases, resembling the fourth pattern. If the intonation is acute the word has a mark 3a, 34a, written by in dictionaries, and if a circumflex or short, the mark is 3b, 34b, ; the number three means the number of an accentuation pattern, the letter a means the acute intonation, the letter b is for a circumflex intonation or a short stress; if the accent is in a further than the third syllable from the ending the other digit is added, for instance, 34b means that the stress falls on the fourth from the ending syllable and it is short or of circumflex intonation.
  4. Alternation of stress on short or circumflex pre-desinential syllable with desinential accentuation. The number of polysyllabic words of this pattern is marginal, two common nouns and few place names.
Relation between accent type and accentuation pattern :

Accentuation tables

spùrga
spùrgos
spùrgai
spùrgą
spùrga
spùrgoje
spùrga		ran
rañkos
rañkai
rañką
ran
rañkoje
rañka		gal
gal
gálvai
gálvą
gálva
gal
gálva		dai
dai
daĩnai
daĩną
dai
dai
daĩna
spùrgos
spùrgų
spùrgoms
spùrgas
spùrgomis
spùrgose		rañkos
rañkų
rañkoms
ran
rañkomis
rañkose		gálvos
gal
gal
gálvas
gal
gal		daĩnos
dai
dai
dai
dai
dai

brólis
brólio
bróliui
brólį
bróliu
brólyje
bróli		mẽdis
mẽdžio
mẽdžiui
mẽdį
me
mẽdyje
mẽdi		ar
árklio
árkliui
árklį
árkliu
ar
ar		vélnias
vélnio
vélniui
vélnią
vélniu
vel
vélniau		keps
kẽpsnio
kẽpsniui
kẽpsnį
keps
keps
keps		kẽlias
kẽlio
kẽliui
kẽlią
ke
ke
ke
bróliai
brólių
bróliams
brólius
bróliais
bróliuose		mẽdžiai
mẽdžių
mẽdžiams
me
mẽdžiais
mẽdžiuose		ar
ar
ar
árklius
ar
ar		vel
vel
vel
vélnius
vel
vel		keps
keps
keps
keps
keps
keps		ke
ke
ke
ke
ke
ke

dróbė
dróbės
dróbei
dróbę
dróbe
dróbėje
dróbe		brãškė
brãškės
brãškei
brãškę
braš
brãškėje
brãške		varš
varš
várškei
várškę
várške
varš
várške		erd
erd
er̃dvei
er̃dvę
erd
erd
er̃dve
dróbės
dróbių
dróbėms
dróbes
dróbėmis
dróbėse		brãškės
brãškių
brãškėms
braš
brãškėmis
brãškėse		várškės
varš
varš
várškes
varš
varš		er̃dvės
erd
erd
erd
erd
erd

tóšis
tóšies
tóšiai
tóšį
tóšimi
tóšyje
tóšie		slìstis
slìsties
slìsčiai
slìstį
slìstimi
slìstyje
slìstie		šir
šir
šìrdžiai
šìrdį
šir
šir
šir		nak
nak
nãkčiai
nãktį
nak
nak
nak		šu
šu
šùniui
šùnį
šu
šu
šu
tóšys
tóšių
tóšims
tóšis
tóšimis
tóšyse		slìstys
slìsčių
slìstims
slis
slìstimis
slìstyse		šìrdys
šir
šir
šìrdis
šir
šir		nãktys
nak
nak
nak
nak
nak		šùnys
šu
šu
šu
šu
šu

ámžius
ámžiaus
ámžiui
ámžių
ámžiumi
ámžiuje
ámžiau		tur̃gus
tur̃gaus
tur̃gui
tur̃gų
tur̃gumi
tur̃guje
tur̃gau		sõdžius
sõdžiaus
sõdžiui
sõdžių
sõdžiumi
sõdžiuje
sõdžiau		sū
sū
sū́nui
sū́nų
sū
sū
sū		vir
vir
vir̃šui
vir̃šų
vir
vir
vir
ámžiai
ámžių
ámžiams
ámžius
ámžiais
ámžiuose		tur̃gūs
tur̃gų
tur̃gums
tur
tur̃gumis
tur̃guose		sõdžiai
sõdžių
sõdžiams
so
sõdžiais
sõdžiuose		sū́nūs
sū
sū
sū́nus
sū
sū		vir̃šūs
vir
vir
vir
vir
vir