Pridevski sufiksi i akcenat
The Adjective Suffixes and Accent

Summary/Abstract: In this paper I argue that the great majority of adjective suffixes form a layer in the lexicon which blocks the accent rule of Serbo-Croatian. I hypothesize that the accent rule of Serbo-Croatian has the following form: (SA) The accent falls on the penultima. This SA rule refers to so-called rising accents. I assume with Browne and McCaley (1965) that falling accents are only »defaut« accents of unaccented morphemes. A great deal of exceptions to SA rule is accounted for by the existence of a special layerin the lexicon formed by adjective suffixes which blocks the application of this rule. I hope that the indications brought out in this paper for the existence of such layer in the lexicon may be a step towards the construction of lexical phonology of Serbo-Croatian. I must, however, note that SA is still a hypothesis which can be fully justified only by the complete theory of Serbo-Croatian accentuation. The present paper has only the aim to provide a segment of it.

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