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Description:
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Tone and Intonation are two types of pitch variation, which are used by
speakers of all languages in order to give shape to utterances. More
specifically, tone encodes segments and morphemes, and intonation gives
utterances a further discoursal meaning that is independent of the meanings
of the words themselves. In this comprehensive survey, Carlos Gussenhoven
provides an up-to-date overview of research into tone and intonation,
discussing why speakers vary their pitch, what pitch variations mean, and
how they are integrated into our grammars. He also explains why intonation
in part appears to be universally understood, while at other times it is
language-specific and can lead to misunderstandings. After eight chapters
on general topics relating to pitch modulation, the book's central
arguments are illustrated with comprehensive phonological descriptions -
partly in Optimality Theory - of the tonal and intonational systems of six
languages, including Japanese, Dutch, and English.
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