In search of a euphony unit: A case study in Czech 1830s poetry
In search of a euphony unit: A case study in Czech 1830s poetry

Summary/Abstract: The study examines selected samples of Czech 1830s poetry production through the prism of a quantitative conception of euphony. Stemming from Jan Mukařovský’s reflections on the topic, it tries to strengthen the notion through the creation of exact figures with intersubjective validity. To this end, the count of this property devised by Gabriel Altmann is utilized and innovated by a new unit – the consonant set – which endeavours to grasp the phonetic reality of language more effectively than the casually used concept of sound. The analysis proves the solid character of the new unit, shows interrelations between the two calculations, and proposes a few interpretations of the euphony situation in Czech poetry of the 1830s. Moreover, it demonstrates effective ways of displaying data results by means of scatter plots and cluster analyses. As a spinoff of the core idea, the paper also explores Mukařovský’s high evaluation of Mácha’s use of euphony.

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