Resumen de The phonological status of initial peaks in Eurpean Portuguese
This paper investigates the phonology of initial peaks in European Portuguese intonation. Evidence is presented for two types of peaks: an accentual peak, that is consistently aligned relative to the first stressed syllable; and a phrasal peak, that is aligned relative to the left-edge of the intonational phrase and within the limits of the first prosodic word. The former is best represented as an H* accent, whereas the latter is a phrasal H tone with a peripheral association to the left-edge of the I-phrase and a secondary association with the first ù. This secondary attachment precludes the phrasal H and a pitch accent from co-occurring at the left periphery of the contour. By offering a new account of initial peaks, the present study contributes to a better understanding of the options available at the left periphery of the Portuguese intonational system.
