Penultis alinguisticsterm for the second-to-lastsyllableof a word. It is an abbreviation ofpenultimate,which describes the next-to-last item in a series. The penult follows the antepenult and precedes theultima.For example, the main stress falls on the penult in such English words asbanána,andMississíppi,and just about all words ending in-icsuch asmúsic,frántic,andphonétic.Occasionally, "penult" refers to the last word but one of a sentence.
The terms are often used in reference to languages likeLatinandAncient Greek,whose position of thepitch accentorstressof a word falls only on one of the last three syllables, and sometimes in discussingpoeticmeter.
In certain languages, such asWelsh[1]andPolish,stress is always on the penult.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^WelshArchived2015-12-08 at theWayback Machinein the World Atlas of Language Structures
- ^Chapter 14: Fixed Stress LocationsArchived2015-12-07 at theWayback Machinein the World Atlas of Language Structures
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