Intonaatiojaksoista

• Eija Aho
• Eeva Yli-Luukko

Avainsanat: intonaatiojakso, kuulohavainto, litterointi, prosodia, prosodinen jaksotus

Abstrakti

Intonation units (englanti)

2/2005 (109)

Intonation units

The article looks at how intonation units are identified when transcribing speech and presents a method for making this easier to accomplish. The writers compare the use of early twentieth-century Finnish intonation models with the international models used today. In 1910, Peltonen presented prominence and segmentation using a multi-level hierarchy and concluded that prominence is produced as a result of the combined effect of many rhetorical means. Such means include dynamic, tonal and temporal changes in speech as well as expressions and gestures. Sadeniemi (1949) also described multiple stages in the prosodic segmentation of speech and regarded the content of speech units as an important segmentation criterion in addition to the phonetic characteristics. For Sovijrvi (1946), the main segmentation criterion was rhythm, or the quantitative congruence of units at the same level in the segmentation hierarchy. The models presented during the first half of the twentieth century were often based on Gestalt psychology, and the same problems are among those considered today in human cognition-based linguistic research. For example, Chafe (1994) refers to the influence of memory function in speech segmentation.

From their transcriptions of Finnish and Finno-Swedish dialect data, the writers conclude that intonation units can, in principle, be divided into two categories: major and minor. Major intonation units contain a distinct thought and have clear boundaries. They usually end with a distinctly falling intonation, sometimes a creaky voice, and the final syllables may be completely voiceless or even absent. After a major unit there is nearly always a pause, often a long one. The most common global form incorporates pitch declination, which is the result of diminishing breath pressure, but the characteristic features of the global form vary from dialect to dialect.

Minor intonation units are the most difficult to distinguish, as this requires an overall understanding based on many different criteria, as well as an awareness of rhythm. The normal duration of such units, which is less than two seconds, fits into the time frame of the working memorys phonological loop.

To help in the prosodic segmentation of speech data, the writers propose an application sequence for the criteria, in which strong criteria are applied first, followed by weak criteria. The criteria for major and minor intonation units are presented as follows:

Intonation units Strong criteria Weak criteria major boundaries, form content, (core) minor form, rhythm content, boundaries, core

A boundary is a pause and/or a change in intonation, speed of delivery or loudness. Form mainly refers to the form of F0 curve, but also coherence brought about in any other way, and content is the units grammatical, semantic or pragmatic content. Core is the prominent part of the unit and can be of varying length. In a major intonation unit, for example, one minor unit may be more prominent than the other units. The writers follow Chafes manner of transcribing minor intonation units, putting each one on a separate line. Major intonation units can be presented as groups of minor intonation units in the same way as lines of verse are grouped into stanzas.

Eija Aho & Eeva Yli-Luukko