In metrical phonology,there are two diametrically opposed positions on meter.Youmans(1989)labels the two positions Platonic and Aristotelian,and characterizes the two positions as follows:(1)a.Platonic:All lines are measured against an abstract metrical prototype(the Platonic Form).The degree of metricality of a given line is determined by its relative conformity with this prototype.b.Aristotelian:All lines are either metrical or unmetrical(the law of the excluded middle).
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