Comparison of English Language Rhythm and Kalhori Kurdish Language Rhythm

Investigating on quantitative features of languages rhythm is a recent issue that attracts the attention of linguists. Interval-based method is a method of studying the rhythmic quantitative features of languages. This method use Pairwise Variability Index (PVI) to consider the variability of vocalic duration and inter-vocalic duration of sentences which leads to classification of languages rhythm into stress-timed languages and syllable-timed ones. This study aims to consider the rhythm of British English and Kalhori Kurdish, which is spoken in some part of west of Iran, based on interval-based method. In order to reach this aim the duration variability of vocalic interval and inter-vocalic interval of English and Kalhori Kurdish are measured by PVI. Afterward the outcomes of this study were compared to the existed results of other languages. The results of this research demonstrated that the rhythmic quantitative features of these two languages are placed among stress-timed languages. Keywords: Rhythm, interval-based method, syllable-timed, stress-timed