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The fallacy of accent (also known as accentus, from its Latin denomination, and misleading accent [1]) is a verbal fallacy that reasons from two different vocal readings of the same written words. In English, the fallacy typically relies on prosodic stress , the emphasis given to a word within a phrase, or a phrase within a sentence.
Dysprosody, which may manifest as pseudo-foreign accent syndrome, refers to a disorder in which one or more of the prosodic functions are either compromised or eliminated. [ 1 ] Prosody refers to the variations in melody, intonation , pauses, stresses, intensity, vocal quality, and accents of speech. [ 2 ]
Lexical prosody refers to the specific amplitudes, pitches, or lengths of vowels that are applied to specific syllables in words based on what the speaker wants to emphasize. The different stressors placed on individual syllables can change entire meanings of a word. Take one popular English word for example:
For example, green house and greenhouse differ in that the second word loses stress in the latter, and generally this type of semantic combination exhibits this prosodic pattern. There are many ways that prosody marks how words combine into phrases, often marked primarily at the phrase boundaries.
Fallacy of accent – changing the meaning of a statement by not specifying on which word emphasis falls. Persuasive definition – purporting to use the "true" or "commonly accepted" meaning of a term while, in reality, using an uncommon or altered definition. (cf. the if-by-whiskey fallacy)
Prosodic units do not generally correspond to syntactic units, such as phrases and clauses; it is thought that they reflect different aspects of how the brain processes speech, with prosodic units being generated through on-line [definition needed] interaction and processing, and with morphosyntactic units being more automated.
[2] In this sense, even the number of lines in a verse or a verse's rhyme scheme can be used to create or enhance prosody. [3] For example, a songwriter might align downbeats or accents with stressed syllables or important words, or create musical accompaniment to the meter of the lyrics. Also, prosody can mean how the music supports the ...
Schmidt takes, for example, an adjective such as 'complete' and shows that it is used with the normal accent on the second syllable in lines such as: He is complete in feature and in mind (Gent. ii 4.73) And then proceeds to find numerous examples where the stress is changed according to the rule, thus: A maid of grace and complete majesty.