Using prosodic completion tasks to explore the phonetics and phonology of intonation
The aim of this paper is to present a methodological technique first developed in Vermillion (2001) and remodelled in Vermillion (anticipated 2005), which is used to investigate the meaning of intonation. Using this methodology, two contrasted sets of meanings are illustrated. First, we comp...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
2004
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/97926 |
| Summary: | The aim of this paper is to present a methodological technique first developed
in Vermillion (2001) and remodelled in Vermillion (anticipated 2005), which
is used to investigate the meaning of intonation. Using this methodology, two
contrasted sets of meanings are illustrated. First, we compare how 30 New
Zealand English-speaking University students use their intonation to indicate
a continuation request to their discourse partner, with how these same
speakers cue that they want the conversation to stop. This pair was contrasted
by the majority of speakers through modification of their final boundary tone
(%); for 18 of the 30 speakers the contrast was between L% to show that the
conversation should cease and H% to show that it should continue. The other
12 speakers used a higher H* pitch accent preceding the L% to indicate
continuation. The second meaning contrast was selected to further explore
how a H*LL% sequence may be used to convey two opposing meanings. The
data showed that 77% speakers realised H*LL% when conveying both
authority and submission. A comparison of the heights of H* and L% in these
contours reveals that the height of the L% is significantly higher when
conveying submission than authority. The example Prosodic Completion
Tasks illustrate how PCTs may be a useful initial methodology in exploring
the Phonetics and Phonology of intonation. |
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