Tone, stress & intonation Flashcards
suprasegmentals>
-supra=above
-segmentals= segment
-suprasegmentals= “above & beyond the ssegment” (aka prosody)
prosodic features (i.e. tone/intonation) are conveyed using which linguistic fetaures (3)>
- variation in pitch
- variation in loudness
- variation in duration
what is a stroboscopy>
- where a microphone & flashing light are used to view vf vibration
-& appears in slow motion
fundamental frequency (f0)=
vibration rate of vocal folds
>what we hear as PITCH
what does higher frequency mean in terms of pitch>
higher frequency= higher pitch
what does higher frequency look like on waveform?
more cycles over same time period
what does ‘blue line’ across a spectrogram mean?
fundametnal frequency
why is there no blue line (f0) in voiceless segments on spectrograms?
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
pitch & f0 in voiceless sounds>
-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
what does loudness equate to phonetically?>
amplitude
how does high/low amplitude look on a spectrogram?>
- high as far up/down on wave
-low as close to middle wave
tone=
use of suprasgemental features for at word/syllable level for LEXICAL meaning
stress=
use of suprasegmental features at word/syllable level that DOES NOT change the meaning
register tone languages=
typically have ‘level tones’ (i.e. HIGH & low; HIGH MID and low), with few or no contour tones (rising/falling)
contour tone languages=
typically have tone with pitch modulation (NOT same pitch throughout)
word-accent/pitch accent languages=
where language makes LIMITED use of tone
>(i.e swedish)
phonetics of stress>
-higher pitch
-greater duration
-greater loudness
-full vowel when stressed (reduced vowel when unstressed)
fixed vs variable stress=
in some langs the stress occur in a fixed position (french), in others it is variable (eng)
intonation=
use of suprasegmental features across an UTTERANCE
typical eng intonation>
- 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)
common trends across langs for intonation
- falling pitch at end of utterance
-qns & uncertainty expressed with a phrase-final rise
production code is for=
why falling pitch is associated with phrase endings
what is frequency code for=
why rising pitch is associated with qns & uncertainty
production code>
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
frequency code>
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
variation across UK (intonation)>
-‘urban northern british group’–>rising intonation in declaratives
-‘high rising terminal’/ ‘uptalk’–>rise that keeps on rising until end of phrase
Analysis of why ‘high-rising terminal/uptalk’ is used>
-been said to communicate uncertainty & lack of confidence
-seen to communicate politeness, mutual understanding & support within a conversation
-not all perceptions as positive
