Prosodic Adjunction in Japanese Compounds

Abstract

This paper explores a particular part of thc prosod~c hlerarchy-the area fallmg between the prosodic word and thc phonological phrase. It dcvclops a framc\\vork that reduces the types of genulnc prosodic categories whilc at the same time making systematic use of adjunctlon structures and concomitant functional notlons likc maximal and min~mal instantiallons of catcgorics. A dctailcd analysis of thc prosodic typology of compounds In Japanese suggests that thc theory maintams enough flexibility to d~stinguish what nccda to hc distinguished hut aboids mult~plying prosodic catcgorlcs beyond necessity. A universal hierarchy cannot easily admit language-specific gaps. This has been a problem with the prosodic hierarchy above the word level, where troublesome 'holes ' have been diagnosed, with good evidence, in particular languages. The