stress sentence accent 4

STRESS: POST-LEXICAL LEVEL

SENTENCE ACCENTSENTENCE ACCENT

SENTENCE ACCENT- SENTENCE ACCENT- INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

It is an aspect of postlexical phonologyIt is an aspect of postlexical phonology It is one of the three basic components of It is one of the three basic components of

intonation.intonation. It is an aspect of prosody.It is an aspect of prosody. It is also known as “tonicity”It is also known as “tonicity”


Two schools of thought: British and AmericanTwo schools of thought: British and American British: There is a close interaction between British: There is a close interaction between

intonation and accentuation- Kingdon (1938)intonation and accentuation- Kingdon (1938) American: Phoneticians have analysed stress American: Phoneticians have analysed stress

and pitch as separate features. and pitch as separate features. Present perspective: sentence accentuation – Present perspective: sentence accentuation –

prominence of utterances and intonation – prominence of utterances and intonation – pitch pattern of utterances will be analysed as pitch pattern of utterances will be analysed as two sides of the intonation coin. two sides of the intonation coin.


NUCLEAR ACCENT - DEFINITIONNUCLEAR ACCENT - DEFINITION PHONETICALLY: It can be identified as PHONETICALLY: It can be identified as

the syllable starting the last pitch the syllable starting the last pitch movement in an intonation group.movement in an intonation group.

FUNCTIONALLY: It can be identified as FUNCTIONALLY: It can be identified as the syllable that marks the beginning of the syllable that marks the beginning of the most meaningful portion of utterance. the most meaningful portion of utterance.

Nucleus: it is defined as a feature of Nucleus: it is defined as a feature of stress which may or may not co-occur stress which may or may not co-occur with pitch movement.with pitch movement.


NUCLEAR ACCENT IS ALSO KNOWN AS:NUCLEAR ACCENT IS ALSO KNOWN AS:– TONIC SYLLABLE- HALLIDAY-CRYSTAL –TONIC SYLLABLE- HALLIDAY-CRYSTAL –

BRAZILBRAZIL– TERMINAL ACCENT OR LAST MAIN TERMINAL ACCENT OR LAST MAIN

ACCENT- BOLINGERACCENT- BOLINGER– SENTENCE ACCENT OR SENTENCE ACCENT OR – UTTERANCE – LEVEL ACCENTUATION-UTTERANCE – LEVEL ACCENTUATION-– POSTLEXICAL ACCENTUATIONPOSTLEXICAL ACCENTUATION


NUCLEARITY- DEFINITIONNUCLEARITY- DEFINITION IT CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE IT CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE

MAIN GROUPS:MAIN GROUPS:– PHONETICPHONETIC

– DISTRIBUTIONALDISTRIBUTIONAL

– FUNCTIONALFUNCTIONAL


1- 1- PHONETIC: It concentrates on the type of PHONETIC: It concentrates on the type of prominence displayed by the nuclear accent. It prominence displayed by the nuclear accent. It refers to the stressed syllable of the most prominent refers to the stressed syllable of the most prominent word, major pitch movement, the syllable at which a word, major pitch movement, the syllable at which a significant pitch movement begins.significant pitch movement begins.

2- 2- DISTRIBUTIONAL:DISTRIBUTIONAL: It refers to the position in the intonation-group. i.e. the last prominent syllable.

3- FUNCTIONAL: It is of a more phonological nature. It says what the nucleus does- the primary cue to what the speaker considers the most important part of his utterance-

NUCLEUS PLACEMENT NUCLEUS PLACEMENT THEORIESTHEORIES

THERE ARE FOUR SCHOOLS OF THERE ARE FOUR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT TO NUCLEUS PLACEMENT:THOUGHT TO NUCLEUS PLACEMENT:– THE TRADITIONAL MODELTHE TRADITIONAL MODEL– THE SYNTACTIC MODELTHE SYNTACTIC MODEL– THE SEMANTIC MODELTHE SEMANTIC MODEL– THE FOCAL MODELTHE FOCAL MODEL

We are going to focus on the first and the last model.We are going to focus on the first and the last model.


TRADITIONAL MODELTRADITIONAL MODEL– IT IS BASED ON A CLASSIFICATION OF IT IS BASED ON A CLASSIFICATION OF

WORDS ACCORDING TO THE SEMANTIC WORDS ACCORDING TO THE SEMANTIC BURDEN THEY CARRY AND CONSEQUENT BURDEN THEY CARRY AND CONSEQUENT CAPACITY OF ACCENTABILITY WHEN CAPACITY OF ACCENTABILITY WHEN USED IN CONNECTED SPEECHUSED IN CONNECTED SPEECH.. CONTENT OR LEXICAL ITEMS-CONTENT OR LEXICAL ITEMS-

– NOUNS-ADJECTIVES-VERBS-ADVERBSNOUNS-ADJECTIVES-VERBS-ADVERBS STRUCTURAL OR FUNCTION WORDSSTRUCTURAL OR FUNCTION WORDS

– PRONOUNS- PREPOSITONS-(ONE SYLLABLE) PRONOUNS- PREPOSITONS-(ONE SYLLABLE) CONJUNCTIONS-CONJUNCTIONS-


TRADITIONAL MODEL:TRADITIONAL MODEL:– It has been incorporated into another traditional It has been incorporated into another traditional

rule of nucleus placement:rule of nucleus placement: LLI- LAST LEXICAL ITEM RULE- HALLIDAYLLI- LAST LEXICAL ITEM RULE- HALLIDAY – 1967. – 1967.

– TONICITYTONICITY:: NEUTRAL TONICITYNEUTRAL TONICITY: falls on the last lexical item in the : falls on the last lexical item in the

tone group.tone group. MARKED TONICITYMARKED TONICITY: there are two conditions under : there are two conditions under

which it can occur- which it can occur- 1- When a non-final element is 1- When a non-final element is

contrastive.contrastive.2- When a final element is give.2- When a final element is give.


THE FOCAL MODELTHE FOCAL MODEL– FOCUSING IS A CENTRAL PART OF WHAT WE DO FOCUSING IS A CENTRAL PART OF WHAT WE DO

WHEN WE ACCENT-LADD-1979-WHEN WE ACCENT-LADD-1979-

– IT IS INTRODUCED BY HALLIDAY-1967-IT IS INTRODUCED BY HALLIDAY-1967-

He talks about “points of information focus”He talks about “points of information focus” Part of the theory that explains the way in which intonation Part of the theory that explains the way in which intonation

relates to information structure in spoken language.relates to information structure in spoken language. He distinguishes between marked and unmarked focus.He distinguishes between marked and unmarked focus.


FOCUS:FOCUS:– It explains the correlation between a It explains the correlation between a

phonological notion- nuclear accent and phonological notion- nuclear accent and prominent material of different lengths- from one prominent material of different lengths- from one syllable to whole constituents and sentences-syllable to whole constituents and sentences-

– The word which is labelled as “new”:The word which is labelled as “new”: The most importantThe most important InformativeInformative Newsworthy-Newsworthy- unpredictableunpredictable


FOCUS:FOCUS:– DEFINITION:DEFINITION:

The accentual pattern of an utterance is the The accentual pattern of an utterance is the physicla manifestation of the focus of the physicla manifestation of the focus of the utterance.utterance.

There is general agreementThere is general agreement::– ACCENTS SIGNALS FOCUSACCENTS SIGNALS FOCUS– NOT ALL FOCUSED CONSTITUENTS NEED TAKE AN NOT ALL FOCUSED CONSTITUENTS NEED TAKE AN

ACCENT.ACCENT.– UNFOCUSED CONSTITUTUENTS DO NOT TAKE AN UNFOCUSED CONSTITUTUENTS DO NOT TAKE AN

ACCENT.ACCENT.


BROAD AND NARROW FOCUS:BROAD AND NARROW FOCUS:– BROAD FOCUS:BROAD FOCUS:

THE INFORMATION CONVEYED IN THE THE INFORMATION CONVEYED IN THE INTONATION-GROUP IS COMPLETELY INTONATION-GROUP IS COMPLETELY NEWNEW- - ALL NEW- THEREFORE –” IN FOCUS”-ALL NEW- THEREFORE –” IN FOCUS”-

– NARROW FOCUS:NARROW FOCUS: IT CONTAINS IT CONTAINS NEW AND GIVENNEW AND GIVEN INFORMATION INFORMATION


GENERAL CONCLUSIONS:GENERAL CONCLUSIONS:– THE NARROWER THE FOCUS, THE MORE THE NARROWER THE FOCUS, THE MORE

OBVIOUS NUCLEUS PLACEMENT.OBVIOUS NUCLEUS PLACEMENT.

– THE NUECLEAR ACCENT FALLS WITHIN THE NUECLEAR ACCENT FALLS WITHIN THE FOCUSED MATERIAL.THE FOCUSED MATERIAL.

– THE FOCUSED MATERIAL INVOLVES NEW THE FOCUSED MATERIAL INVOLVES NEW INFORMATION.INFORMATION.


AVANTAGES:AVANTAGES:– IT TAKES CONTEXTUAL AND PRAGMATIC- IT TAKES CONTEXTUAL AND PRAGMATIC-

SITUATIONAL -ASPECTS INTO ACCOUNT.SITUATIONAL -ASPECTS INTO ACCOUNT.

– IT ALSO OFFERS A SATISFACTORY IT ALSO OFFERS A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION FOR THE NEUTRAL – EXPLANATION FOR THE NEUTRAL – CONTRASTIVE-EMPHATIC ACCENTUAL CONTRASTIVE-EMPHATIC ACCENTUAL PATTERN-PATTERN-


NEWNESS AND GIVENNESSNEWNESS AND GIVENNESS– THEORY OF INFORMATION STRUCTURE-THEORY OF INFORMATION STRUCTURE-

CONCEPTS OF NEW + GIVEN INFOCONCEPTS OF NEW + GIVEN INFO PRAGE LINGUISTSPRAGE LINGUISTS HALLIDAY’S CONCERN TO EXPLAIN THE HALLIDAY’S CONCERN TO EXPLAIN THE

PROCESS THAT LINKS INFORMATION WITH PROCESS THAT LINKS INFORMATION WITH INTONATION.INTONATION.

– GIVEN INFORMATION IS OPTIONAL AND NOT GIVEN INFORMATION IS OPTIONAL AND NOT MARKED BY PITCH.MARKED BY PITCH.

– THE UNMARKED POSITION OF GIVENNES IS THE UNMARKED POSITION OF GIVENNES IS DETERMINED BY THE SPEAKER.DETERMINED BY THE SPEAKER.


NEW INFORMATION:NEW INFORMATION:– It is that part of information which the speaker has It is that part of information which the speaker has

decided to present as not being already available to decided to present as not being already available to the hearerthe hearer..

GIVEN INFORMATION:GIVEN INFORMATION:– It is that part of information which the speaker It is that part of information which the speaker

decides to treat as already known or assumed.decides to treat as already known or assumed.– It is information physically present in the context or It is information physically present in the context or

mentioned in the discourse. mentioned in the discourse. – Others: in the air- on stage- shared knowledge- Others: in the air- on stage- shared knowledge-

common groundcommon ground


GIVEN INFORMATIONGIVEN INFORMATION– It can be stablished It can be stablished

Linguistically- physically present in the Linguistically- physically present in the discoursediscourse

– There are various types of sense relations:There are various types of sense relations: Synonymy- hyponym-superordinate- conv erse- Synonymy- hyponym-superordinate- conv erse-

part/whole-part/whole-

Situationally- related to a particular situation or Situationally- related to a particular situation or non-linguistic context.non-linguistic context.

NUCLEUS PLACEMENT- NUCLEUS PLACEMENT- GIVENNESSGIVENNESS

ACCENTING- NEWNESSACCENTING- NEWNESS DEACCENTING-GIVENNESSDEACCENTING-GIVENNESS

– GIVENNESS IS BROUGHT INTO FOCUS AND THEN GIVENNESS IS BROUGHT INTO FOCUS AND THEN REACCENTED:REACCENTED: Identical material can be focalised as a process of Identical material can be focalised as a process of

recapitulation on the part of the addressee, to make it clear recapitulation on the part of the addressee, to make it clear to the speaker that he agrees with him or that he has to the speaker that he agrees with him or that he has understood the message.understood the message.

To reiterate information for clarification purposes.To reiterate information for clarification purposes. To mark the beginning of a new aspect of the same topic.To mark the beginning of a new aspect of the same topic. When the same form conveys two different meanings.When the same form conveys two different meanings. When there are no new items in the discourse context. When there are no new items in the discourse context. Intonation idiomaticity.Intonation idiomaticity.

EXCEPTIONS TO LLI RULEEXCEPTIONS TO LLI RULE

BROAD FOCUS: LLI RULE - BROAD FOCUS: LLI RULE - – ARGUMENTS: ARGUMENTS:

EVENT SENTENCESEVENT SENTENCES NOUNS + INFINITIVESNOUNS + INFINITIVES WH-QUESTIONS ENDING WITH A VERBWH-QUESTIONS ENDING WITH A VERB FINAL RELATIVE CLAUSESFINAL RELATIVE CLAUSES NOUNS + ADJECTIVES / PARTICIPLESNOUNS + ADJECTIVES / PARTICIPLES TRANSITIVE VERBS + OBJECT + VERBAL PARTICLETRANSITIVE VERBS + OBJECT + VERBAL PARTICLE INDIRECT QUESTIONSINDIRECT QUESTIONS SUBJECT + PASSIVE VERBSUBJECT + PASSIVE VERB

EXCEPTIONS TO LLI RULEEXCEPTIONS TO LLI RULE

WORDS OF LOW SEMANTIC WEIGHT:WORDS OF LOW SEMANTIC WEIGHT:– OBJECTS OF GENERAL REFERENCEOBJECTS OF GENERAL REFERENCE– FINAL VOCATIVESFINAL VOCATIVES– FINAL REPORTING CLAUSESFINAL REPORTING CLAUSES– FINAL ADVERBIALS:FINAL ADVERBIALS:

ADVERBIALS OF TIME AND PLACEADVERBIALS OF TIME AND PLACE ADVERBIALS OF COURTESY-DEGREE- PROPER FUNCTIONINGADVERBIALS OF COURTESY-DEGREE- PROPER FUNCTIONING SENTENCE ADVERBIALSSENTENCE ADVERBIALS SENTENCE VS. NON-SENTENCE ADVERBIALSSENTENCE VS. NON-SENTENCE ADVERBIALS NEGATIVE STATEMENTSNEGATIVE STATEMENTS REFLEXIVE-EMPHATIC PRONOUNSREFLEXIVE-EMPHATIC PRONOUNS PREPOSITIONSPREPOSITIONS

– ADVERBS VS. PREPOSITIONSADVERBS VS. PREPOSITIONS OPERATORSOPERATORS

stress sentence accent 4

Documents

prominent syllable

intonation group

stressed syllable

intonation coin

crystal brazilterminal

major pitch movement

significant pitch movement

tonic syllable halliday