Linguistic Intonation and Pitch

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Questions and Answers

What does the term 'tonicity' refer to in intonation?

The specific syllable that carries the tone (correct)

The overall emotional tone conveyed in speech

The division of utterances into smaller units

The pitch range of a speaker's voice

Which of the following statements correctly describes the head of a tone unit?

It includes all syllables after the tonic syllable.

It is synonymous with the tonic syllable.

It starts from the first accented syllable and ends right before the tonic syllable. (correct)

It represents all unaccented syllables in an utterance.

Which components are involved in the structure of a tone unit?

Nucleus and syllable types

Stress and rhythm

Head, pre-head, and tail (correct)

Pitch and tone only

What is indicated by double vertical lines in the division of tone units?

Pauses in speech Signup and view all the answers

How does pitch relate to the perception of tone?

Faster vocal fold vibrations lead to a higher perceived pitch. Signup and view all the answers

Which definition best describes the term 'tonality' in relation to intonation?

The division of utterances into tone units Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the tail in a tone unit?

To continue the pitch movement of the tonic syllable Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best captures the expressive function of intonation?

To convey emotions or attitudes beyond the lexical meaning Signup and view all the answers

What is the naturalness or indexical function of intonation primarily used for?

To signal personal identity in speech. Signup and view all the answers

Which intonation pattern is characterized as unmarked for WH-questions?

High fall Signup and view all the answers

How does a low fall in a statement generally affect the tone?

It conveys objectivity and seriousness. Signup and view all the answers

Which intonation pattern typically indicates a need for repetition or clarification?

High rise Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the function of intonation in expressing old and new information?

Intonation helps in marking contrasts or coherence between structures. Signup and view all the answers

What does a fall-rise intonation pattern commonly imply when used in statements?

Something implied remains unsaid. Signup and view all the answers

Which tone frequently characterizes routine questions and reflects a lack of genuine interest?

Mid-level tone Signup and view all the answers

What does a high head followed by a low rise in statements typically convey?

Reassurance and comfort. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about tone languages is correct?

They use pitch movement to convey lexical meaning. Signup and view all the answers

Which intonation pattern is specifically associated with yes/no questions acting as requests?

Low rise Signup and view all the answers

What pattern typically indicates non-finality in presenting and narrating?

Low rise or fall-rise Signup and view all the answers

Which type of question tag is characterized by a positive statement with a positive tag?

Unbalanced or constant polarity Signup and view all the answers

What intonation pattern indicates a genuine question in a balanced tag?

Low rise Signup and view all the answers

What intonation is associated with commands followed by question tags like 'Will you?'?

Low rise indicating request Signup and view all the answers

How are the elements in a closed list typically structured intonationally?

Same tone for all before the last, different for the last Signup and view all the answers

Which response pattern uses a high rise to express interest in an affirmative statement?

High rise Signup and view all the answers

In terms of dependent elements, which tonal pattern precedes the independent clause?

Fall-rise Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic defines the tone of parenthetical information in a statement?

Rising tonic syllable Signup and view all the answers

Which type of alternative question typically has a low rise for all options except the last?

Unmarked pattern Signup and view all the answers

What does a low fall in response patterns typically indicate?

Disinterest Signup and view all the answers

What type of assimilation occurs when a word-final consonant sound changes due to a word-initial consonant sound?

Regressive assimilation Signup and view all the answers

In assimilation involving dentalisation, which consonants change when followed by θ or ð?

t̠, d̠, n̠ to t̪, d̪, n̪ Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of coalescent assimilation?

Two adjacent consonants merge into one sound Signup and view all the answers

Which assimilation type is characterized by alveolar sounds being affected by surrounding sounds, particularly in rapid speech?

Reciprocal assimilation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of assimilation involving palatalization?

n̠ followed by c, j, ɟ, pronounced as ŋ̘ Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of assimilation in connected speech?

To reduce articulatory effort and increase fluency Signup and view all the answers

Which type of assimilation occurs when a preceding sound influences a following sound?

Progressive assimilation Signup and view all the answers

What phonological feature is primarily changed in assimilation of manner of articulation?

Manner of articulation Signup and view all the answers

In which context is assimilation most likely to occur?

In rapid, casual speech Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of progressive assimilation involving voicing?

Changing [s] to [z] in 'has the' Signup and view all the answers

What happens to alveolar consonants during the assimilation process?

They often undergo de-alveolarization Signup and view all the answers

What type of assimilation involves the fusion of two adjacent sounds into one?

Mutual influence Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a feature-based type of assimilation?

Change of consonant voicing Signup and view all the answers

What does coarticulation in connected speech refer to?

Overlapping of articulatory movements Signup and view all the answers

How does vowel reduction typically manifest in unaccented syllables?

Vowels simplify to one of three sounds: [ə], [i], or [u] Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Intonation

Intonation is the linguistically significant pattern of pitch variations in a stretch of utterance.
Pitch is an auditory sensation corresponding to the vocal folds' vibration rate. Higher pitch corresponds to faster vibration.

Intonation - Pitch Range

The highest and lowest pitches the human voice can reach.

Tone

A continuous pitch movement from one level to another.

Tonality

Utterances are divided into smaller units called tone units, intonation phrases, or intonation groups.
Vertical lines separate tone units. Double lines also separate units and indicate pauses.

Tonicity

The syllable carrying the tone is the tonic syllable or nucleus.
Typically the last lexical item is the tonic syllable, but the meaning determines which syllable.

Structure - Tonic Syllable/Nucleus

The syllable carrying the tone is the tonic syllable or nucleus.
Accented syllables before the tonic syllable also have marks.
Head: First accented syllable to the tonic syllable.
Pre-head: Unaccented syllables before the head.
Tail: Syllables after the tonic syllable.

Functions of Intonation

Attitudinal/Expressive Function

Emotions and attitudes are conveyed through intonation, beyond lexical meaning.

Accentual/Informational/Focusing Function

Allows the speaker to highlight specific information within an utterance.

Grammatical Function

Differentiates syntactic structures (phrases, clauses, statements, questions).
Indicates boundaries between structures.

Discourse/Cohesive Function

Allows speakers to indicate intentions and expectations for listener responses.
Facilitates discourse structure and marks shared knowledge.
Distinguishes between new and old information (new info usually has falling tones).
Marks contrasts and coherence between clauses within an utterance.
Signals turn-taking between speakers.

Naturalness/Indexical Function

Distinctive intonation patterns indicate who is speaking or the type of discourse.
Acts as a marker of personal identity.

Lexico-semantic Function

Some languages use pitch movement to convey lexical meaning.

Statements

Unmarked pattern: High fall (neutral).
Variations:
- High fall: confidence, finality.
- Low fall: objectivity, seriousness, detachment.
- Low fall with high head: categorical, definite.
- Fall-rise: something unsaid, politeness (correcting).
- High head, low rise: reassurance, encouragement.
- Rise-fall: strong impression, approval/disapproval, intensifier, irony, gossip.

WH-Questions

Unmarked pattern: High fall (curiosity).
Variations:
- Low fall: serious, detached, hostile.
- High rise: requires repetition or clarification.
- Low rise: friendly, interested, polite.

Yes/No Questions

Unmarked pattern: Low rise (neutral).
Variations:
- Fall-rise: implication, "because ..."
- High fall/Low fall: seriousness, urgency for a response.

Declarative Questions

Form of a statement but rising intonation marks it as a question.
Tone used depends on the meaning.

Alternative Questions

Speaker provides a choice.
First question has a low rise, last has a high fall. Intermediary questions have low rises.

Question Tags

Balanced/Reverse Polarity: Positive statement, negative tag (or vice versa).
- High fall: confirmation seeking.
- Low rise: genuine information seeking.
Unbalanced/Constant Polarity: Both statement and tag have the same polarity.
- Low rise (less common).

Will You?/Shall We?/Aren't I?/Am I?

Commands/requests with question tags are less authoritative.
Low rise used in "let's" + "Shall we?" and "Will you?"
High fall or low rise in "I'm..." + "Aren't I?" and "I'm not..." + "Am I?"

Tag-Type Responses

Unmarked pattern: High rise (interest).
Variations:
- Low rise: disapproval, skepticism.
- High fall: mild surprise, acceptance.
- Low fall: lack of interest, hostility.
- Fall-rise: doubt, disagreement.

Presenting & Narrating/Storytelling

Unmarked pattern: Low rise / fall-rise (non-finality).
High/low fall (finality).
High head with falling tonic for completeness and finality.

Closed Lists

All but the last element have the same tone (usually low rise).
Last element has a different tone (usually high or low fall).

Open Lists

All elements have the same tone (usually low rise).

Dependent Elements

Rising tones (fall-rise before, low rise after independent clause).

Parenthetical Information

Rising tonic syllable, low key, rapid delivery, reduced loudness (additional/less important info).

Assimilation of Consonants in Connected Speech

Assimilation is the adaptation of a consonant so it sounds like adjacent speech sounds.
It's more common in rapid speech.

Types of Assimilation

Progressive: Preceding sound affects following sound.
Regressive: Following sound affects preceding sound.
Mutual: Adjacent sounds influence each other simultaneously.
Coalescent: Two adjacent sounds merge into one, incorporating features.

Features of Assimilation

Point of Articulation (POA): Changes in consonant articulation point.
Manner of Articulation (MOA): Changes in pronunciation method.
Voicing: Changes between voiced and voiceless consonants.

Types of Assimilation by Directionality and Features

Explicit descriptions of progressive, regressive, mutual, and coalescent assimilation based on consonant sounds influenced.

Recap

Assimilation simplifies pronunciation, making speech smoother and more efficient.
Various sound changes occur in connection according to different directionally and phonetic feature categories.

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Description

Explore the fascinating concepts of intonation, pitch range, tone, tonality, and tonicity in this quiz. Understand how these elements interact in spoken language and influence communication. Perfect for students of linguistics and language studies.