Rhythm+&Intonation[1]

7/31/2019 Rhythm+&Intonation[1]

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RHYTHM &INTONATION


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Rhythm & Intonation

Rhythm

What is rhythm?

- Assimilation

-Elision

-Linking

Intonation What is intonation?

Form and function in intonation


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Rhythm

What is rhythm?

Utterance of a number of strong stresses or beats

corresponding to those parts of utterance to whichthe speaker wishes to attach particular accentual

meaning and on which he expands great

articulatory energy; the remaining words or

syllables are weakly and rapidly articulated.

Forms a rhythmic beat rhythm in speech(Gimson, 1980:258)


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rhythm

Stress-timed rhythm theory ~ rhythm from intervalsof stressed syllables.

Rhythmic structure made by the occurance ofweak and strong syllables used in speech.

Regular alteration between stronger and weakersyllables, and adjustment of stress levels to

accommodate the intervals. Stress-shift

Eg. Bad-tempered ~ a bad tempered teacher

compact ~ compact disk


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Assimilation

~sounds belonging to one word can cause changesto the sounds of the neighboring words ~ phonemesrealized (pronounced) differently as a result of

being near some other phoneme belonging to aneighboring word ~ to assimilate itself =assimilation

~varies according to speaking rate and style

~found more in rapid, casual speech

~smts very noticeable, smts very slight

~affects consonants


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assimilation

when a word that ends with a single initial

consonant meets another word that starts with a

single initial consonant, and the end consonantchanges to be like the starting consonant in the

second word = regressive assimilation

when the initial consonant in the second word

changes to be like the end consonant in the firstword = progressive assimilation


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assimilation

Can be identified according to:

Assimilation ofplace, ofmanner and ofvoicing

in the consonants Assimilation of place

where a final consonant (Cf) with alveolar place ofarticulation is followed by an initial consonant (Ci)

with a place of articulation that is NOT alveolar.Examples: that - ends with t ~ that person

sounds like dap person

light blue ~ laip blue


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assimilation

Before a dental consonant, t will change

into a dental plosive. E.g. that thing, get

those

Before a velar consonant, the t will become

k~ that case, bright colour, quite good

How about s and z?

~this shoe, those years


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assimilation

Assimilation of manner

~ much less noticeable, only found in casual rapid speech

~ are mostly regressive assimilation

~ change of manner is mostly towards easier consonants.

~ smts final plosives can become a fricative or a nasal e.gthat side, good night

~but final fricative or nasal cannot become a plosive e.g fun

bit Progressive assimilation : when a word-initial follows a

plosive or nasal at the end of a preceding word; Ci becomesidentical in the manner of Cfbut with dental place ofarticulation


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assimilation

Assimilation of voice

~ only regressive assimilation.

~ if Cf is a voiced (lenis) consonant and Ci isvoiceless (fortis) ~ the lenis consonant has novoicing

Fixed assimilation - progressive assimilation of

voiced with the suffixes s and z`pronounced as s if the preceding consonant is

voiceless (fortis).

`pronounced z if the preceding consonant is voiced

(lenis)


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Elision

What is elision?

weakly accented syllables go through a

process of gradation i.e. loss of phoneme orobscuration of vowels (Gimson, 1980:234)

- circumstances when a phoneme may berealised as zero = zero realisation = deleted

- found typically in rapid and casual speech


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Elision

Vowels

Loss of weak vowel afterp, t, k

The aspiration of the plosive takes up the whole ofmiddle portion of the syllable, resulting the elisionof the vowels

becomes syllabic

Simplification of consonant clusters E.g clusters of three plosives or two plosives plus a

fricative, the middle plosive may disappear

Loss of final v in of before consonants

E. lots of them, waste of mone


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Linking

~ link words together words are not in isolation

Most familiar is use oflinking r

Examples: here are four eyes

Intrusive r

Media event, formula A

Juncture relationship between one sound and the soundsthat immediately precede and follow it.

Close juncture? My turn

External open juncture?

Consider = might rain vs my train

keep sticking vs keeps ticking

Boundaries of sounds?


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Intonation

Form and function in intonation What is intonation?

Concerns associated variations of pitch rises and falls of

pitch forms a pattern intonation.

Pitch of our voices constantly change during speech.

2 main functions

A) accentual pitch change to make prominent what the

speaker wishes to stress upon signaling via pitch changeof primary meaningful words

B) non accentual pitch change is to distinguish different

type of sentences = question, statements


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intonation

Level tone not natural

Moving tone falling, rising more

common in speech depending on the

situation

Rise-fall tone = the pitch goes down and

rises again

Tones give more meanings to our speech


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Tutorial activities

Research : what are contractions, give

examples and usage. Are contractions

elisions? Assimilations of sounds?

Rhythm+&Intonation[1]

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