Unit 2. Static and Kinetic Tones. Anatomy of a Tune 


Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!



ЗНАЕТЕ ЛИ ВЫ?

Unit 2. Static and Kinetic Tones. Anatomy of a Tune



We tend to single out from an utterance only some words while others are less significant. The reasons for it lie in the specific contrastive character of the speech chain: some of its elements are prominent, or stressed. Prominent words are usually associated with a pitch change or a pitch contrast of some kind combined with increased force of articulation, or loudness, and increased duration. These different prosodic parameters are reflected in the notion of t h e t o n e - the basic element of English intonation.

Tones are divided into two classes since they may be produced in two quite distinct ways: 1) by keeping the vocal cords at a constant tension thus producing a tone of unvarying pitch; 2) by varying the tension of the vocal cords thus producing a tone of varying pitch. Tones of the first type are known as static (level tones), while those of the second type are known as kinetic or dynamic.

According to the actual height within the speaker's voice-range static tones may be high, mid and low with two relevant gradations within each type - very high, rather high; mid high, mid low; rather low, very low.

It should be noted that although a tone is associated with a stressed syllable, its realization often involves the unstressed syllables attached to the stressed one, particularly those following it. Thus a rising pitch change is always carried by the unstressed syllables and not by the stressed one, whenever there are one or more enclitics in the stress-group (see below).

Of the parameters involved in the analysis of kinetic tones, direction of the pitch change is evidently the most significant characteristic. The general classification of English kinetic tones may be represented as follows:

 

1. Fall: a) High Fall, b) Mid Fall, c) Low Fall;

2. Rise: a) High Rise, b) Mid Rise, c) Low Rise;

3. Fall-Rise: a) High Fall-Rise, b) Mid Fall-Rise, c)Low Fall-Rise;

4. Rise-Fall: a) High Rise-Fall, b) Low Rise-Fall.

 

Static and kinetic tones differ in form and in their function in speech.

Static tones give prominence to words. In general, the degree of prominence is proportional to the pitch-height of the static tone: the higher varieties are usually associated with greater prominence, which, in turn, signifies greater semantic importance.

Kinetic tones are more significant to the utterance. Practically any utterance /intonation-group has a kinetic tone. Besides giving prominence to a word, kinetic tones perform a number of other functions pertaining to the overall communicative meaning of an utterance. They

a) indicate the communicative type of an utterance;

b) express the speaker's attitude towards the subject-matter, the listener and the situation;

c) single out the centre of new information in an utterance or the point of greater semantic importance as viewed by the speaker.

The total number of tones (static and kinetic) in an utterance or part of it forming a separate intonation-group is determined by the number of important (prominent) words, and most typically there are from 1 to 5 tones.

The nuclear tone may be called terminal as it is always the last tone in an intonation group and serves as its boundary. The term“ tune” is wider than “ tone” and the tune may comprise several tones.

Unstressed or partially stressed syllables which precede the first full stress form the prehead. The part of the tune extending from the first stressed syllable up to, but not including, the nuclear syllable is referred to as the head. The syllable bearing the nuclear (terminal) tone is called the nucleus of the utterance. Unstressed or partially stressed syllables following the nucleus are called the tail.

The only indispensable element of a tune is the nucleus. The other components may or may not be present in a tune. It depends on the length of the utterance, the phonetic structure of the words (monosyllabic or polysyllabic) and the number of prominent words in it.

 

 



Поделиться:


Последнее изменение этой страницы: 2017-02-08; просмотров: 2589; Нарушение авторского права страницы; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы!

infopedia.su Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав. Обратная связь - 44.221.46.132 (0.002 с.)