Semantic function

Attitudinal function

This function of intonation consists in expressing the attitude of the speaker towards what is being spoken about. It may have other names, such as expressive and emotional. The ability of intonation to express attitudes is associated with tones and pitch range features accompanied by voice quality and tempo changes.

^xJohn's come. "John's come!

David Crystal writes: "No one has yet described all the nuances of meaning which can be conveyed by the intonation system. Even if we restrict the example to a single word (Yes), and a single context (Willyou marry me?), it proves difficult to capture everything that is involved" (Crystal 1995:248). Then the author represents graphically "the nine ways of saying yes" and describes a range of possible connotations associated with the following tones: low fall, full fall, mid fall, low rise, full rise, high rise, level, fall-rise, rise-fall. Here is an example of the description and the commentary:

1. Low fall — the most neutral tone; a detached, unemotional statement of fact. (Unlikely, though it could be quite a dramatic answer, after tempestuous preliminaries.)

2. Full fall - emotionally involved; the higher the onset of the tone, the more involved the speaker; choice of emotion (surprise, excitement, irritation) depends on the speaker's facial expression. (Possible, especially if accompanied by other tones of voice, such as breathiness.)

3. Mid fall — routine, uncommitted comment; detached and unexcited. (I'm thinking about it. Wedding bells seem unlikely.) (Crystal 1995: 248).

There is a distinction between the attitude towards what the speaker is saying, and his/her emotional state. The emotional (physical and psychological) states are classified into strong and weak, positive and negative, and they are universal, i.e. shared by all people. Then there are also conventional, culture-bound social norms which put constraints on the freedom of expression, on the ways of demonstrating emotions and attitudes. This makes it difficult for a foreign learner to interpret attitudinal intonation means.

Some authors also attribute a semantic function to intonation. The assumption is based on the difference in the meaning of the whole sentence or just one word brought about by a change in the pitch pattern:

a) She does not lend her books to ^anybody (with a low fall)
(не дает книги никому).

She does not lend her books to „anybody (with a fall-rise) (не дает книги случайным людям).

b) I have plans to leave (я намерен уехать).

I have *plans to leave (у меня в руках планы, которые нужно оставить).

c) I 'scream: "I 'love it". Iсе cream, I love It.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11