On the prosodic traits of the declension of nouns in the Ijekavian West-Serbian speeches

Abstract

The paper systematically and analytically delves into conspicuous accent characteristics of the declension of nouns in the Ijekavian West-Serbian speeches (less commonly of lexical categories and individual examples). The demonstrated instances (mainly of prosodic declensional relations) are examined from multiple perspectives: lexical productivity of accent types, areal and/or systemic limitations, the level of accordance with exemplary (Vuk?s or Danicic?s) accent patterns, the nature of the correlations with appropriate circumstances in kindred speeches. On the basis of the chosen corpus and analytical viewpoints, we have confirmed the following: the special status and inherent incompatibility of West-Serbian Ijekavian complex somewhat modifi es classic prosodic models. Some of Danicic?s alterations are missing (e.g. svekar-svekra type), some are areally limited (e.g. starac-starca type), some are lexically reduced (e.g. rod-roda type). Nevertheless, the observed differences are dialectally inevitable and therefore cannot be said to undermine the organic unity of the West-Serbian Ijekavian complex with the other segments of the vast and extensive East-Herzegovinian dialect.