This paper presents evidence for the quantity insensitive (QI) iamb, the existence of which is important because it fills an empirical gap that-while is generally denied-is nonetheless predicted by many extant prosodic theories (e.g. Prince & Smolensky 1991/2004, McCarthy & Prince 1993, Halle & Vergnaud 1987). Given the standard view that QI trochees exist, QI iambs in Osage show that whether a foot is right or left-headed in a given language is independent of whether stress in that language is affected by the moraic make-up of syllables (contra the generally held view).
        The claim that QI iambs exist is not new, but until now there has been no unambiguous evidence for them. Previously cited cases either do not have a contrast between short and long vowels and/or can be reanalyzed as trochaic. Osage is the first clear case with QI iambic feet.