Intonation: Definition; The components of intonation and their functions

Intonation is a complex unity of speech melody, sentence stress, voice quality and speech tempo.

Intonation is a language universal. There are no languages that are spoken as a monotone, ie without any change of prosodic parameters. But int functions in different lang-s in different way. D. Jones: Variations in the pitch of the musical tone produced by the vibrations of the vocal cords. Armstrong Ward: By int we mean the rise and fall of the pitch of the voice when we speak. Torsyev: a complex unity of pitch, intensity, tamber and tempo in speech that is one of the most important ways of expressing the meaning of utterance.

The components:

1)the pitch component of int (speech melody). The variations in the pitch of the voice which take place when voiced sounds are pronounced in connected speech. It depends on how fast human vocal cords vibrate: slowly- low pitch, fast- high pitch.

2) sentence stress. The greater prominence which is given to 1 or more words in the sentence. In English stressed words are uttered with greater force of exhalation and muscle tension. The greater prominence is also achieved by a change in pitch, increase in the length of stressed syllables.

3) the voice quality (tamber). Special coloring of the voice in pronouncing sentences. It is superimposed on sp melody and shows speaker’s emotions.

4) the tempo of speech. The speed with which sentences or their parts are produced. It is determined by the rate at which sp sounds are uttered, by the number and length of the pauses

5) the rhythm. It is closely connected with the tempo. The rhythm is the recurrence of stressed syll-s at more or less equal intervals of time.

The tempo and rhythm constitute the temporal component of int.

The components of int form a unity as they always function together and none of them can be separated.

Functions. Intonation performs the same 3 functions: constitutive, distinctive, identificatory.

Pitch component:1) the const function throughout the sentence. Each syll in it has a certain pitch and can’t exist without it. This function manifests itself in the delimitative function; 2) Dist function of the pitch component. It consists in giving final shape to the whole sentence or an int group within the sentence or distinguishing them from other groups; 3) ident function consists of the use of all t in the right place.

Stress comp: If there is only 1 word in the int group, its stress can be defined as the retention of word accent and the const function means that each __ of the group must have a stress. If there are 2 or more words in int group, they must have a sentence stress.

Temporal comp: pauses, duration, rhythm. Pauses perform const and delimitative functions between sense groups and sentences.

The methods for recording intonation patterns in writing and advantages and disadvantages of these methods.

There are a variety of methods for recording intonation patterns in writing. The first three methods reflect only variations in pitch only.

1)The method involves drawing a line around the sentence to show relative pitch hights. It was introduced by Ch. Fries. (He’s gone to the I of Ifice).

2) by Bolinger. The syllables are written at different heights across the page. (I ªbsolutely deⁿy it). It is inconvenient because we need to have special model of print.

3) “Levels” method. Was supported by American linguists and those who recognized 4 levels of pitch: 1.low, 2. Normal, 3. High, 4. Extra high (He’s g²one to the ³o¹ffice).

4) Is favored by most British phoneticians (D. Jones, G.F. Arnold, D. Crystal) and Soviet phoneticians who have proved it.

Advantages: 1. Not only variations of pitch but also stressed syll-s are marked, 2. Special symbols are used to indicate distinct modifications of pitch in the nuclear syll ↑↓ and slantwise stress mark pitch movements in the pre-nuclear part can be indicated too. 3. It is convenient for marking intonation in the text.

Disadvantages: there is no general agreement about the number of terminal tones and prenuclear parts. Fall and rise tones are not enough for phonological analysis. (→That isn’t as simple as it sounds).