Do the nominalizers "no" and "koto" have recessive accent (i.e. no downstep) or downstep after the first syllable? Or are they enclitic (i.e. unaccented unless following a word with no downstep in which case they accent the final syllable, like だ)?
1 Answer
の (not same pattern with the postposition の!)
- after accentless verbs and na-adjectives: downstep before the particle
なる{LH} "make sound" → なるの{LHL}
かえる{LHH} "change (t.)" → かえるの{LHHL}
みつめる{LHHH} "stare at" → みつめるの{LHHHL}
せいかくだ{LHHHH} "accurate" → せいかくなの{LHHHHL}
- after accented verbs and na-adjectives: keeps the pitch
なる{HL} "become" → なるの{HLL}
かえる{HLL} "go home" → かえるの{HLLL}
につめる{LHHL} "boil down (t.)" → につめるの{LHHLL}
ふせいかくだ{LHLLLL} "inaccurate" → ふせいかくなの{LHLLLLL}
- after i-adjectives: always downstep before い
あつい{LHH} "thick" → あついの{LHLL}
あつい{LHL} "hot" → あついの{LHLL}
- after accentless verbs and na-adjectives: downstep before the particle
こと
- after accentless words: takes over the accent (final syllable)
なる{LH} → なること{LHHH} → なることが{LHHHL}
かえる{LHH} → かえること{LHHHH} → かえることが{LHHHHL}
みつめる{LHHH} → みつめること{LHHHHH} → みつめることが{LHHHHHL}
あつい{LHH} → あついこと{LHHHH} → あついことが{LHHHHL}
せいかくだ{LHHHH} → せいかくなこと{LHHHHHH} → せいかくなことが{LHHHHHHL}
- after accented words: keeps the pitch
なる{HL} → なること{HLLL}
かえる{HLL} → かえること{HLLLL}
につめる{LHHL} → につめること{LHHLLL}
あつい{LHL} → あついこと{LHLLL}
ふせいかくだ{LHLLLL} → ふせいかくなこと{LHLLLLLL}
- after accentless words: takes over the accent (final syllable)
A verb or adjective whose last syllable is high is always accentless. The list of word accents is available from, for example, here.
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Are you sure about 事? OJAD lists こと as Odaka, even after accented nouns. I didn't see any information in NHK that こと loses its accent after accented words.– GeorgeSep 29, 2022 at 3:23
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@George Generally, 形式名詞 doesn't inherit its accent as standalone noun. こと's accentuation in なる{HL}こと is kind of difficult to specify with this notation. In short, it does not make another accent phrase, but optionally has one more downstep at the end like a "secondary accent". Oct 2, 2022 at 9:39