379: propreantepenult Dec 22, 2015

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There are words that denote where the stress is placed. Otherwise when using a writing system without accent marks how would anyone know the difference between (noun) 'rebel' and (verb) 'rebel'. When accentuation is on the last symbol, it is called 'ultima', the second to last, 'penult' and third to last, 'antepenult'. After this, many textbooks simply write 'fourth-to-last', but there is a word, 'preantepenult' or for any other context outside of language, "preantepenultimate". Rarer still is there need for a word to describe accentuation on the fifth-to-last syllable. The word 'propreantepenult' (propreantepenultimate) has been used before, but it is not accepted everywhere. There aren't words for anything after that.

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