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From: "Paul J. Kriha" <kriha_p@actrix.gen.nz>
Subject: Re: Hungarian / Czecho-Slovakian
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Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 16:16:31 GMT
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rmt51@cas.org () wrote:

[...]
 
> I've always thought there must be some
> causal relationship between the word-initial stress in Czech and Slovak
> and the fact that the Hungarians have lived only a stone's throw away
> for over a millenium.  Historically, large numbers of Slovaks have been
> bilingual (in Hungarian), so an influence certainly is reasonable.

It's true Slovaks and Hungarians have lived for centuries
in close political proximity, in one state. But IMO
the primary stress hasn't been loaned from H, and surely
not by Czech and Sorbian.
During the 1000 years, when Czechs met Hungarians it was
usually on a battlefield.  Apart from a few C words loaned
from H there seems hardly any other imports from H.
The Lusatians had no contact with Hungarians.  Why would
then both Sorbian languages have primary accent as well.

The Sorbians and Czechs spent many early centuries of the
last millennia in close cultural proximity, in one state
of Bohemian Crown, while Slovaks were politically cut off.

I wouldn't be surprised if Western Slavs used primary stress
even before Hungarians walked into Europe.

Paul JK

