Теоретическая фонетика английского языка (803492), страница 20
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The first can be described as the distinctive (phonological)function and the second - as the organizing function of intonation. In thischapter we shall also give an overview of pragmatic, rhetorical and socialfunctions of intonation.4.5. Functions of Intonation814.5.2. Distinctive functionTo demonstrate how intonation performs the distinctive function we mustview it on the phonological level. Phonology has a special branch, intonology,whose domain is larger units ofconnected speech: intonation groups, phrasesand even phonetic passages.
The same as in the case ofsegmental phonemesthe phonological approach to intonation involves the analysis based on a system ofoppositions. By oppositions here we mean minimal pairs of phrases ofidentical grammar structure and lexical composition, in which the differencein meaning is expressed by intonation only.The descriptions of intonation show that phonological facts of intonationsystem are much more open to discussion than in the field of segmental phonology. Descriptions differ according to the kind ofmeaning attributed to intonation and the significance attached to different parts ofthe tone-unit (intonation pattern).
J. O'Connor and G. Arnold claim that the major function ofintonation is to express the speaker's attitude to the situation he is placed in,and they attach these meanings not to the pre-head, head and nucleus separately, but to each often "tone-unit types" as they combine with each offoursentence types: statement, question, command and exclamation.M. Halliday supposes that English intonation contrasts are grammatical.He argues that there is a neutral or unmarked tone choice and explains allother choices as meaningful by contrast.
Thus, if one takes the statement "Idon't know", the suggested meanings are: Low Fall - neutral, Low Rise non-committal, High Fall - contradictory, Fall-Risewith reservation,Rise-Fall with commitment. Unlike J. O'Connor and G. Arnold, M.
Halliday attributes separate significance to the pre-nuclear choices, again takingone choice as neutral and the others as meaningful by contrast.D. Crystal presents an approach based on the view that "any explanationof intonational meaning cannot be arrived at by seeing the issues solely intheir grammatical or attitudinal terms. " He ignores the significance of prehead and head choices and deals only with terminal tones.There are other similar approaches which possess one feature in common: little attention is paid to the phonological significance ofpitch level andpitch range.In this book intonation is viewed on the phonological level as a complex system of all the prosodic parameters and a powerful means ofcommunication.What kind of meanings can be distinguished by intonation? Intonationis capable of distinguishing the syntactic type of sentence, the attitudinalmeaning and the actual meaning of the utterance.82Chapter IV .Intonationa) Intonation is used to distinguish the syntactic, or communicative typeof sentence, in other words, it can indicate whether the utterance is a statement, a question, a command or an exclamation.-7Isn't it ,wondeiful? (general question) Isn't it 'wondeiful! (exclamation) -7"'Will you 'stop Jalking?(command) "'Will you 'stop ialking? (request) It can be seen from these examples that it is the change of the nucleartone that leads to the change of the syntactic type of sentence.The following sentence can be pronounced in different ways.It's a lovely day.When pronounced with the Low Fall this sentence is a statement,pronounced with the High Fall it becomes an exclamation, when it is saidwith the Low Rise it is a question.An important role of intonation is to express attitudes of the speakers.It can convey a wide range ofattitudes, thus performing the attitudinal function.
When people speak they can sound angry or happy, pleased or surprised,interested or indifferent, and so on. The same sentence can be pronounced indifferent ways and thus express a variety ofattitudinal meanings.difficulties to foreign learners of English. Special attention should be givento using the appropriate intonation to convey attitudes.c) Intonation can differentiate the actual meaning of the sentence. Thechange of meaning is achieved by the opposition of nuclear tones.Have you read the book?Not ,once.When pronounced with Low Fall it means that the speaker has not readthe book.Have you read the book?Not Vance.When pronounced with Fall-Rise it means that the book has been readseveral times.Similarly, the meaning is changed in the following phrases:I "'don't 'want you to 'read ,anything.
(You should avoid reading.)["'don't 'want you to 'read vanything. (You should be more particularabout your choice of reading matter.)The change ofmeaning can also be the result ofthe shift ofterminal tone.He's a -7 French ,teacher. (He comes from France.)He's a ,French teacher. (He teaches French.)Figure 11Distinctive Function of IntonationWhen can you do it? ,Now. (detached, reserved) When did you finish? - 'Now. (involved) You are to do it right now. - v Now? (astonished) How omuch did you JJay for it? (cool, reserved) How omuch did you 'pay for it? (lively, interested) 834.5.
Functions ofIntonationintonation can differentiatesyntactic types of sentencesattitudinal meaningIt is not only the nuclear tone but the pre-nuclear pattern as wellhead, the pre-head) that can differentiate the attitudinal meaning.It was -7quite a 'good .lecture. (matter-of-fact, uninvolved) It was v quite a 'good 'lecture. (impressed) It should be noted that the changes in pitch are usually accompanied bychanges in the rate of utterance , loudness and voice quality.When we speak about attitudes and emotions we mean both the attitudeto what is said, to the listener, to the situation and the emotional state ofthespeaker. So it is a fairly complex phenomenon which may present particularAs you have seen from the examples given above it is the opposition ofterminal tones that can differentiate all kinds of meaning: the syntactic type ofsentences, attitudinal meaning and the actual meaning of the sentence.
Thenumber of terminal tones which indicates the number ofintonation groups inan utterance is also relevant for the meaning. Different phrasing, or subdivisionofsentence into intonation groups, may result in differences in meaning.For example, the sentence My sister, who lives in the South has just arrived may be interpreted in two different ways.--~Chapter rv. Intonation84My sister I who lives in the South I has just arrived. I It means "My onlysister who happens to live in the South ... "My sister who lives in the South Ihas just arrived. I It means "That one ofmy sisters, who lives in the South ...
"In a written text this difference in meaning is sometimes marked bypunctuation, while in oral speech it is expressed by intonation.As regards the other components of the intonation pattern (the prehead, the head) they differentiate only attitudinal meaning. Being pronounced with the high pre-head, "Hello" sounds more friendly than whenpronounced with the low pre-head:Hel,lo! - -Hel,lo!More commonly, however, different kinds of pre-heads, the same aspitch ranges and levels fulfil their distinctive function not alone but in combination with other prosodic constituents.-Very 'clever, .isn't he?-That's quite 'interesting.Finishing the overview ofthe distinctive function of intonation we mustlook at the relationship of intonation, syntactic structure and lexical composition in an utterance.
Generally intonation is in balance with other language means. For example questions express a certain amount of interest,which is normally conveyed both by their syntactical structure and interrogative intonation. However, there are cases when intonation is in contradiction with the syntactic structure and lexical composition of the utterance, neutralizing and compensating them. For example, a statement maysound questioning: He was late a,gain?There are cases when intonation neutralizes or compensates the lexicalcontent ofthe utterance as it happens, for instance, in the command -;.Phonehim at .once, please, when the meaning of the word please is neutralized byintonation.-;.How 'very ,nice. Due to intonation this utterance sounds negative incontrast to the syntactic structure and the wording.Lack of balance between intonation and word content, or intonationand grammatical structure of the utterance may serve to create specialspeech effects, irony, for example:Very >clever, Jsn't he?-;.1hat's 'quite .interesting.854.5.
Functions ofintonationThere are cases when groups of intonation patterns may be treated assynonyms. It happens when fine shades of meaning in different situationsmodify the basic meaning they express. The basic meaning of any fallingtone in statements is finality. Low Fall and High Fall both expressing finality have their own particular semantic shades. Pronounced with Low Fall astatement will sound detached and reserved. High Fall together with finality may express concern, involvement:Where's my copy?,Peter took it for you.or: 'Peter took it for you.Isn't it a lovely view?DeJightful.or: De'lightful.4.5.3.
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