3.9 Syllabication And Stress
the vowel sound itself, the terms “stressed syllable” and “stressed vowel” are largely interchangeable concepts.
Most Lojban words are stressed on the next-to-the-last, or penultimate, syllable. In counting syllables, however, syllables whose vowel is y or which contain a syllabic consonant (l, m, n, or r) are never counted. (The Lojban term for penultimate stress is da'amoi terbasna.) Similarly, syllables created solely by adding a buffer vowel, such as [ɪ], are not counted.
There are actually three levels of stress – primary, secondary, and weak. Weak stress is the lowest level, so it really means no stress at all. Weak stress is required for syllables containing y, a syllabic consonant, or a buffer vowel.
Primary stress is required on the penultimate syllable of Lojban content words (called brivla). Lojbanized names may be stressed on any syllable, but if a syllable other than the penultimate is stressed, the syllable (or at least its vowel) must be capitalized in writing. Lojban structural words (called cmavo) may be stressed on any syllable or none at all. However, primary stress may not be used in a syllable just preceding a brivla, unless a pause divides them; otherwise, the two words may run together.
Secondary stress is the optional and non-distinctive emphasis used for other syllables besides those required to have either weak or primary stress. There are few rules governing secondary stress, which typically will follow a speaker's native language habits or preferences. Secondary stress can be used for contrast, or for emphasis of a point. Secondary stress can be emphasized at any level up to primary stress, although the speaker must not allow a false primary stress in brivla, since errors in word resolution could result.
The following are Lojban words with stress explicitly shown:
- Example 3.23
- dikyjvo
- DI,ky,jvo
(In a fully-buffered dialect, the pronunciation would be: ['di kə ʒɪ vo].) Note that the syllable ky is not counted in determining stress. The vowel y is never stressed in a normal Lojban context.
- Example 3.24
- .armstrong.
- .ARM,strong.
This is a Lojbanized version of the name “Armstrong”. The final g must be explicitly pronounced. With full buffering, the name would be pronounced:
- Example 3.25
- [ˈʔa rɪ mɪ sɪ tɪ ro nɪ gɪʔ]
However, there is no need to insert a buffer in every possible place just because it is inserted in one place: partial buffering is also acceptable. In every case, however, the stress remains in the same place: on the first syllable.
The English pronunciation of “Armstrong”, as spelled in English, is not correct by Lojban standards; the letters “ng” in English represent a velar nasal (IPA [ŋ]) which is a single consonant. In Lojban, ng represents two separate consonants that must both be pronounced; you may not use [ŋ] to pronounce Lojban ng, although [ŋg] is acceptable. English speakers are likely to have to pronounce the ending with a buffer, as one of the following:
- Example 3.26
- [ˈʔarm stron gɪʔ]
- or
- [ˈʔarm stroŋ gɪʔ]
- or even
- [ˈʔarm stro nɪgʔ]
The normal English pronunciation of the name “Armstrong” could be Lojbanized as:
