Tone, stress & intonation

Question 1

suprasegmentals>

Answer 1

-supra=above
-segmentals= segment
-suprasegmentals= “above & beyond the ssegment” (aka prosody)

Question 2

prosodic features (i.e. tone/intonation) are conveyed using which linguistic fetaures (3)>

Answer 2

• variation in pitch
• variation in loudness
• variation in duration

Question 3

what is a stroboscopy>

Answer 3

• where a microphone & flashing light are used to view vf vibration
  -& appears in slow motion

Question 4

fundamental frequency (f0)=

Answer 4

vibration rate of vocal folds
>what we hear as PITCH

Question 5

what does higher frequency mean in terms of pitch>

Answer 5

higher frequency= higher pitch

Question 6

what does higher frequency look like on waveform?

Answer 6

more cycles over same time period

Question 7

what does ‘blue line’ across a spectrogram mean?

Answer 7

fundametnal frequency

Question 8

why is there no blue line (f0) in voiceless segments on spectrograms?

Answer 8

1>pratt measures ‘repeating’ pattern in a periodic wave–.then calculated f0 (blue line)
2>f0 releated to vf vibration
3>if voicelessm, there is no vf vibration to calculate f0 from

Question 9

pitch & f0 in voiceless sounds>

Answer 9

-have different sources to voiced sounds
-‘frication’ at different points in VT as source
-some perception of pitch due to VT shape & resonant frequencies produced by it

Question 10

what does loudness equate to phonetically?>

Answer 10

amplitude

Question 11

how does high/low amplitude look on a spectrogram?>

Answer 11

• high as far up/down on wave
  -low as close to middle wave

Question 12

tone=

Answer 12

use of suprasgemental features for at word/syllable level for LEXICAL meaning

Question 13

stress=

Answer 13

use of suprasegmental features at word/syllable level that DOES NOT change the meaning

Question 14

register tone languages=

Answer 14

typically have ‘level tones’ (i.e. HIGH & low; HIGH MID and low), with few or no contour tones (rising/falling)

Question 15

contour tone languages=

Answer 15

typically have tone with pitch modulation (NOT same pitch throughout)

Question 16

word-accent/pitch accent languages=

Answer 16

where language makes LIMITED use of tone
>(i.e swedish)

Question 17

phonetics of stress>

Answer 17

-higher pitch
-greater duration
-greater loudness
-full vowel when stressed (reduced vowel when unstressed)

Question 18

fixed vs variable stress=

Answer 18

in some langs the stress occur in a fixed position (french), in others it is variable (eng)

Question 19

intonation=

Answer 19

use of suprasegmental features across an UTTERANCE

Question 20

typical eng intonation>

Answer 20

• statment–>fall typical at end
  -yes/no qn–>rise typical at end
  -info qn–>fall typical at end
  -emphatic–>big pitch movement from H>L in emphatic word (extra loudness & duration too)

Question 21

common trends across langs for intonation

Answer 21

• falling pitch at end of utterance
  -qns & uncertainty expressed with a phrase-final rise

Question 22

production code is for=

Answer 22

why falling pitch is associated with phrase endings

Question 23

what is frequency code for=

Answer 23

why rising pitch is associated with qns & uncertainty

Question 24

production code>

Answer 24

1>usually, speaking involve egressive airstream
2>airflow as weakest towards end of phrase (used up air in lungs)
3>loss of amplitude=quieter
4>less tension on vf= lower pitch
5>eventually natural effect (of 1-4) becomes part of the phonology of lang

Question 25

frequency code>

Answer 25

1>small mammals have small larynxes
2>large dominant mamals have larger larynxes
3>pattern across animal kingdom leads to lower pitch associated with dominance

Question 26

variation across UK (intonation)>

Answer 26

-‘urban northern british group’–>rising intonation in declaratives
-‘high rising terminal’/ ‘uptalk’–>rise that keeps on rising until end of phrase

Question 27

Analysis of why ‘high-rising terminal/uptalk’ is used>

Answer 27

-been said to communicate uncertainty & lack of confidence
-seen to communicate politeness, mutual understanding & support within a conversation
-not all perceptions as positive