Regularities of primary rhythm of the Lithuanian language

Monografijoje nagrinėjamas neeiliuotos lietuvių kalbos ritmas. Analizuojamos akustinės garsinės kalbos ypatybės, galinčios atskleisti ritmiškumą. Siekiama išsiaiškinti, kuriai tipologinei kalbos ritmo grupei gali būti priskiriama lietuvių kalba, kas – kirtis ar skiemens trukmė – yra pagrindiniai ritmo rodikliai. Aiškinamasi, kas lemia neeiliuotos rašytinės kalbos ritmiškumą. Svarstomas klitikų vaidmuo rišliojoje kalboje. Aptariami metrinės fonologijos principai ir galimybės remiantis ja interpretuoti lietuvių kalbos ritmą. Tyrimą sudaro keturios dalys: 1) analizuojamos akustinės garsinės kalbos ypatybės, galinčios atskleisti ritmiškumą, 2) aiškinamasi, kas lemia neeiliuotos rašytinės kalbos ritmiškumą, 3) svarstomas klitikų vaidmuo rišliojoje kalboje, 4) aptariami metrinės fonologijos principai ir galimybės remiantis ja interpretuoti lietuvių kalbos ritmą.The rhythm of a language is an interesting phenomenon that concerns many areas (linguistics, literary science, musicology, neurology, etc.). However, it is difficult to identify and analyse various features of the rhythm. For this reason, the investigation of acoustic characteristics of the rhythm became more active only in the eighties of the twentieth century, when vowels and consonants of many languages had already been thoroughly researched and described. Metrical phonology started at a similar time. The development of generative phonology was the greatest impetus on the origin of metrical stress theory. The rhythm of Lithuanian concerned almost exclusively scientists of literature. The fact that there is no complex research of the Standard Lithuanian prosody could explain why linguists lack interest in the rhythm. Moreover, classical phonology was the predominant area of Lithuanian phonology. The aim of the research which is described in this study is to identify the main regularities of primary rhythm of Lithuanian. This is achieved by identifying rhythmical features of speech signals and written texts. In this study, the rhythm which is not consciously constructed but is determined by the language system is called primary rhythm. The research consists of four parts: 1) analysis of phonetic features of the speech rhythm, 2) establishment of the regularities of the rhythm in written language, 3) research of the prosodic autonomy of words and its determinants, 4) a description of the principles of metrical phonology. [...