Intonation

Unit 7

4. The definition of intonation.

5. The function of intonation in speech.

6. Types of nuclei and their meanings.

7. Sentence - Stress

1. Intonation is a complex unity of four components, formed by communicatively relevant variations in

- voice pitch or speech melody

- the prominence of words or their accent

- the tempo (rate), rhythm and pausation of the utterance

- voice – timber, this complex unity serving to express adequately, on the basis of the proper grammatical structure and lexical composition of the sentence, the speaker’s thoughts reality and the contents of the sentence.

This definition given by V.A.Vassiliev differs from the one given by the majority of foreign linguists, who reduce intonation to only one of its components, i.e. variations of voice pitch (D.Jones, Lilias Armsfrong, A.C. Gimson).

Although the 4 components of intonation function all together and none of them can be isolated, it is possible to single out each component for purposes of analyses.

2. Intonation has 2 main functions:

1) The constitutive function.

2) The distinctive function.

1) The constitutive function.

Intonation forms sentences. Each sentence consists of 1 or more intonation groups.

An intonation group is a word or a group of words characterized by a certain intonation pattern and is generally complete from the point of view of meaning.

E.g. He’s nearly 60.

As a matter of fact | he is nearly 60.

The intonation pattern consists of 1 or more syllables of various pitch levels. Those intonation patterns that contain a number of syllables consist of the following parts:

the pre – head

the head

the nucleus

the tail

The pre – head includes unstressed or half-stressed syllables preceding the head. The head consists of the syllables beginning with the 1^st stressed syllable up to the last stressed syllable. The last stressed syll. is called the nucleus. The unstressed or half-stressed syllables that follow the nucleus are called the tail.

E.g. Then don’t make so much fuss about it.

The nucleus and the tail form the terminal tone. It is the most significant part of the intonation group.

2) The distinctive function.

Intonation serves to distinguish communicative types of sentences, the actual meaning of a sentence, the speaker’s emotions and attitudes to the contents of the sentence, One and the same word combination may express different meaning when pronounced will a different intonation pattern.

E.g. Don’t I know it? (general question)

Don’t I know it? (exclamation)

Intonation is a powerful means of differentiating functional styles.

3. Types of nuclei.

There are 8 nuclear fones in Modern English:

1) The Low (Medium) Fall. The voice falls from the low (medium) pitch level to the bottom of the pitch.

2) The high fall. The voice falls all the way down from a high to the lowest note possible.

3) The Rise-Fall. The voice rises from a medium to a high pitch and then quickly falls to a low pitch.

4) The Low Rise. The voice rises from a very low to a medium pitch level or a little higher.

5) The High (medium) Rise. The voice rises from a medium or high pitch level and moves up to the top of the voice.

6) The Fall-Rise. The voice first falls from a medium or high to a rather low pitch level then rises to a medium pitch.

The fall-rise can be pronounced within 1 syllable or spread over 2 or more syllables.

7) The Rise-Fall-Rise. The voice rises from a very low pitch level, moves up to the medium one, falls deep down, then rises again.

8) The Mid-Level maintains a level pitch between high and low; the voice neither rises nor falls.

The meanings of the nuclear tones are difficult to specify in general terms. The falling tone of any level expresses certainty completeness, independence.

Where’s John? He hasn’t come jet.

The rising tone of any level expresses uncertainty, incompleteness, dependence. A general question, for instance, has a rising tone as the speaker is uncertain of the truth of what he is asking about.

Do you know him?

Parenthetical and subsidiary information in a statement is also often spoken with a rising tone, because this info is incomplete and is dependent for its full understanding on the main assertion.

E.g. If you like, we can go to the picnic later.

Encouraging or polite denials, commands, invitations, greetings, farewells etc. are generally spoken with a rising tone.

Could you join us? Not now.

The falling – rising tone may combine the falling tone’s meaning of assertion, certainty with the rising tone’s meaning of dependence, incompleteness. It the end of a phrase it often conveys a feeling of reservation: it asserts something and at the same time suggests that there’s something else to be said.

E.g. Do you like pop-music? – Sometimes (but not in general).

4. Sentence – Stress.

S-Stress is a special prominence given to 1 or more words according to their importance is a sentence.

The main function of stresses in a sentence depends on the semantic value of words and is closely connected with the lexical and grammatical structure of the sentence.

Phoneticians differentiate 3 types of S-S:

1. normal

2. logical

3. emphatic

Normal S-S affects words which convey the necessary info.

E.g. We have plenty of time

The nuclear syllable is generally associated with the last content word of the intonation group.

Logical Stress gives special prominence to a new element in a sentence. The word which is singled out by the LS is the most important in the sentence.

E.g. He is coming at 5.

He is coming at 5 etc.

Emphatic Str. Most human utterances express not only the speaker’s thoughts, but also his feelings and attitudes to reality. Both normal and logical stresses can be unemphatic and emphatic.

Emphatic Stress increases the effort of expression. Emphatic S. manifests itself on the High Fall or the Rise-Fall. Emphatic stress is a powerful expressive means. It is the highest degree of logical and emotional prominence of words in a phrase.

E.g. We are delighted to see you.

Summarizing we may say that intonation is a powerful means of communication process. No matter how many functions are named, all of them may be summed up under a more general heading that is the function of communication.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-31