Page:An introduction to Indonesian linguistics, being four essays.djvu/347



SECTION XIV : ACCENT. In General.

307. Accent in the IN languages is either determinate or free. It is determinate, when its place in the word is determined by definite rules; it is free, when such rules are wanting.

308. The positition of the accent in the WB is either on the penultimate or the final syllable. Other modes of accentuation are rarer phenomena.

Accentuation of the Word-Base.

309. There are four systems of accentuation applicable to the IN word-base:

I. All WB's accentuate the penultimate. This is the penultimate type.

II. All WB's accentuate the final. This is the final type.

III. The WB's accentuate either the penultimate or the final, according to definite rules. This is the Toba type.

IV. The WB's accentuate either the penultimate or the final, but without definite rules. This is the Philippine type.

310. The penultimate type is the most widely distributed one. — Moreover in the Toba type also, and in many repre- sentatives of the Philippine type, accentuation of the penultimate syllable preponderates. This appears clearly from an examination of accentuated texts, e.g. the Mandailing texts in Van der Tuuk's Toba grammar, p. 31 (which exempHfy the Toba type) or the text Lumawig in Seidenadel-Texts, pp. 485 seqq. (Philippine type). Hence by far the greater number of the IN WB's have the accent on the penultimate Rh