akrocentrism

Akrocentrism is a theoretical concept within linguistics that describes the phenomenon where the primary stress in a word consistently falls on the final syllable. This is in contrast to procliticism, where stress falls on the initial syllable, and mesocentrism, where stress falls on a medial syllable. While many languages have variable stress patterns, some languages or dialects exhibit a strong tendency towards akrocentrism.

The exact mechanisms and reasons for akrocentrism are a subject of linguistic research. It can be a feature of the underlying phonological system of a language, meaning it's part of the language's inherent sound structure. Alternatively, it can arise from historical sound changes over time. In some cases, akrocentrism might be a consequence of grammatical processes, such as the addition of suffixes that attract stress to the end of a word.

Examples of languages or language families that are often cited as exhibiting strong tendencies towards akrocentrism include Polish and other West Slavic languages, where stress is fixed on the penultimate syllable (a form of near-akrocentrism), and some Indigenous languages of the Americas. The study of akrocentrism contributes to our understanding of cross-linguistic variation in stress placement and the phonological rules that govern it. It is a key area in the broader field of prosody, which deals with the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech.