Pitch accent for ないで and なくて


When I listen to Japanese people speak, I usually hear them say ないで{HLL} and
なくて{HLL}, with the pitch drop always placed on な, no matter the verb. But I
might just be hearing things wrong.

However, I would assume that the pitch accent pattern for these forms change
depending on the verb you use, depending on whether it's accented or not.

For example, for unaccented verbs, it would be ないで{HHH} and なくて{HHH}. And for
accented verbs, the pitch drop would be where it usually is when the ない form
is used (e.g., for the verb 食べる{LHL}, you would say, 食べないで{LHLLL} and
食べなくて{LHLLL}).

So, what exactly is the rule for these forms?




For unaccented verbs, the accent falls on な.

  * 行く いく{LH} → いかないで{LHHLL} いかなくて{LHHLL}

  * 開ける あける{LHH} → あけないで{LHHLL} あけなくて{LHHLL}

For accented verbs, the accent falls on the mora preceding な.*

  * 書く かく{HL} → かかないで{LHLLL} かかなくて{LHLLL}

  * 食べる たべる{LHL} → たべないで{LHLLL} たべなくて{LHLLL}

*If the mora preceding な is ん due to the sound change ら→ん, the accent shifts one mora leftward. 

  * 分かる わかる{LHL} → わからないで{LHHLLL} → わかんないで{LHLLLL}

わからなくて{LHHLLL} わかんなくて{LHLLLL}

**Edit** : The following is not correct.

~~In addition, for some accented verbs whose stems end in a sequence of two
vowels (Martin lists about twenty), the accent optionally shifts one mora
leftward.

  * 考える かんがえる{LHHHL} → かんがえないで{LHHHLLL} かんがえなくて{LHHHLLL}

or

かんがえる{LHHLL} → かんがえないで{LHHLLLL} かんがえなくて{LHHLLLL}

~~

* * *

References:

  * <http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~accent/accent2.htm>
  * <http://www.gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/kouzokugo/index>
  * <http://main-website.com/japanese-verb-accent#B>
  * Samuel E. Martin, [A Reference Grammar of Japanese](https://books.google.com/books?id=SszxbMtHbs8C&pg=PA24), p.24

