Nuclear tones.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 1184.

In any intonation we can see the tendency of two tones—rising and falling. The nucleus is the focal point of an intonation pattern. It is a strongly stressed syllable which is generally the last strongly accented syllable of an intonation pattern and which marks a significant change of pitch direction that is where the pitch goes distinctly up or down. The nuclear tone is the most important part of the intonation pattern without which the latter cannot exist at all. Nuclear tones are pitch patterns attached to the nucleus of the intonation pattern and to any following syllables (=the tail).

Nuclear tones in English according to R.Kingdon are:
1) Low Fall – (ˎNo.); 2) High Fall – (ˋNo.); 3) Low Rise – (ˏNo.); 4) High Rise – (ˊNo.); 5) Fall-Rise – (ˇNo.). He also gives 6) Rise-Fall (ˆNo.), 7) Rise-Fall-Rise (˜No.); 8) level tone (ˉNo.)

The meaning of the falling tone of any level and range expresses certainty, completeness, independence. A rising tone of any level and range expresses the contrary meaning. Subsidiary information in the statement is spoken with the rising tone or a mid-level. General questions are also used with rising tone. Encouraging or polite denials, commands, invitations, greetings, farewells are generally spoken with rising tone.
The meanings of the nuclear tones

the falling tone - “certainty”, “completeness”, “independence”.

the rising tone - “uncertainty”, “incompleteness”, “dependence”. (encouraging, polite denials, commands, invitations, greetings, farewells)

the falling-rising tone - “assertion”, “certainty' + “dependence”, “incompleteness” (a feeling of reservation; something is asserted but there is something else to be said) (Do you like pop-music? - Sometimes.)