SECONDARY ACCENT Meaning and
Definition
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A secondary accent refers to a less prominent stress or emphasis placed on a syllable within a word, typically occurring in addition to the primary accent. It is a linguistic term that is used to identify the syllable that receives a slightly stronger stress or louder pronunciation compared to the other unstressed syllables in a word.
In many languages, words with multiple syllables have one primary accent, which is the main stress placed on a particular syllable in a word. However, there are instances where a word may also contain a secondary accent, which is a weaker stress placed on another syllable within that word.
The secondary accent is usually not as strong or prominent as the primary accent and is present in words that are longer or more complex in structure. It adds further rhythmic or melodic variation to the word, helping to distinguish it from other words and aiding in proper pronunciation or understanding.
The presence of a secondary accent can affect the overall word stress pattern and rhythm of a language. It is particularly common in languages with more complex syllabic structures, such as English, where it can be found in words like "administration," with the primary accent on the second syllable and a secondary accent on the fourth syllable.
In summary, a secondary accent refers to a secondary stress or emphasis placed on a syllable within a word, supplementing the primary accent and adding further rhythmic variation to aid in pronunciation and comprehension.
Common Misspellings for SECONDARY ACCENT
- aecondary accent
- zecondary accent
- xecondary accent
- decondary accent
- eecondary accent
- wecondary accent
- swcondary accent
- sscondary accent
- sdcondary accent
- srcondary accent
- s4condary accent
- s3condary accent
- sexondary accent
- sevondary accent
- sefondary accent
- sedondary accent
- secindary accent
- seckndary accent
- seclndary accent
- secpndary accent
Etymology of SECONDARY ACCENT
The word "secondary" comes from the Latin word "secundarius" which means "following, second in rank" or "subordinate". "Accent" originated from the Latin word "accentus" which means "tone" or "accent". In linguistics, an accent refers to the stress or emphasis placed on a particular syllable in a word. Thus, the term "secondary accent" likely emerged to describe a lesser or subordinate level of stress or emphasis in a word, following a primary or primary stress.
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