Blurred cover

The Phonology of Tone and Intonation

Carlos Gussenhoven

PublishedJun 30, 2004
LanguageEnglish

All languages use modulations in pitch to give shape to utterances. Pitch modulation functions in two ways: to encode lexical 'tone', that is, to signal boundaries between morphemes or words, and to encode 'intonation', that is, to give words and sentences a further meaning that isn't part of the meaning of the words themselves. Using examples from a wide variety of languages, this book explains why speakers vary their pitch, what these variations mean, and how they are integrated into our grammars.