On stress in Persian

This paper explores the patterns of stress assignment in Persian under the rule-based metrical theory and optimality theory. To account for the two opposite headedness observed in the stress system in Persian, I develop one type of foot and directionality but different word layer construction rules, i.e., End Rule Left and End Rule Right, which are sensitive to lexical categories. However, End Rule Left makes incorrect predictions for even-syllable words. Persistent footing is here applied as a repairing strategy requiring the unfooted syllable be adjoined to existing feet if the result is wellformed. Additionally, optimality theory can consistently account for the patterns of stress assignment in Persian. The constraints standing in the analysis are linearly ordered but all ranked over Non-Finality. In both metrical and optimal treatments, extrametricality makes possible a simple account of how prominence relations among feet are established for exceptional cases