The general rule is that an affixed form has the stress on the same
syllable as the root alone. Where this general rule is broken, there is
said to be SHIFT OF STRESS. When an affixed form has final stress where
the root had penultimate stress, there is said to be SHIFT TO THE FINAL
SYLLABLE, indicated by the symbol (→):
káun /kā́ʔun/ ‘eat’ + nag-(→) = nagkaun /nagkaʔún/ ‘is eating’
tugnaw /túgnaw/ ‘cold’ + -un(→) = tugnawun /tugnawún/ ‘be cold’
When an affixed form has penultimate stress where the root had final
stress, there is said to be SHIFT TO THE PENULTIMATE SYLLABLE,
indicated by the symbol (←):
sakay /sakáy/ ‘ride’ + nag-(←) = nagsákay /nagsā́kay/ ‘ride together’
In many cases an unaffixed root has both final stress and penultimate
stress (depending on the meaning). Whichever stress occurs with the
prefix MU- (see the entry under MU-) is taken to be the stress of the
root. Thus, the formation of the unaffixed root with a different stress
pattern is said to be by the addition of an affix consisting of shift
of stress alone:
inúm [15] /ʔinúm/ ‘drink’ + (←) = ínum /ʔī́num/ ‘drink heavily’
búnal /búnal/ ‘beat’ + (→) = bunal /bunál/ ‘club’