Phonological weight

Abstract

Grammars frequently categorize syllables for prosodic purposes, treating one class as heavier (e.g. more stress-attracting) than another. While such categorization is usually dichotomous, complex and gradient scales are also attested, with various organizational criteria. This article reviews the range of phenomena that invoke weight distinctions and introduces some current debates concerning weight, touching on topics such as the syllable versus interval as the domain of weight, rich scalarity, process and position specificities, the role of onsets, the phonetic basis of categorization, and the mora.