Experimental evidence for optimal and minimal metrical structure of German word prosody

In the present paper a constraint-based description of German word prosody is suggested in which the constraint ranking is in crucial parts supported empirically by experimental findings from a pseudoword production task and from studies using electrophysiological measurements. It is shown how stress patterns of existing German words as well as experimental results on diverse prosodic structures can be expressed by minimal violations of prosodic constraints. In this way, our analysis aims to gain more insights into the question, which metrical structures are least marked in German. Furthermore, an aspect of minimality in metrical systems is considered, which regards the structure of metrical feet in German. Can we establish strict binarity of feet or do we find evidence for ternary structures?