• Title/Summary/Keyword: focal accent

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Realization of Focal Accent in VP-ellipsis (동사구 생략에서의 초점억양 실현양상)

  • Kim, Hee-Sung;Lee, Young-Jae;Kim, Kee-Ho
    • Speech Sciences
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    • v.9 no.3
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    • pp.237-250
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    • 2002
  • Linguistically, 'Focus' is the element which includes new or unpresupposed information. It is usually signalled by prosodic prominence called the 'pitch accent'. The purpose of this study is to observe the realization of the focal accent in VP-ellipsis, especially, to affect the meaning recovery of elided VP. Asher (1999) gave evidence that focal stress should be on the higher verb and the AUX in order to recover the elided VP to the lower one. In this paper, the systematic patterning of focal accent to decide the elided meaning in VP-ellipsis is to be observed. The realization of focal accent by English native speakers is set as the criteria for the meaning recovery of the elided VP and is compared to Koreans'. Moreover, the focal accents of Koreans are observed and compared with respect to their English proficiency levels.

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Prosodic characteristics of French language in conversational discourse (프랑스어의 대화 담화에 나타난 운율 연구)

  • Ko, Young-Lim;Yoon, Ae-Sun
    • Speech Sciences
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.165-180
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    • 2001
  • In this paper prosodic characteristics of French language are analysed with a corpus of radio interview. Intonation patterns are interpreted in terms of raising pattern, focal raising pattern and falling pattern. Accentual prominence is classified in two types, rhythmic accent and focal accent. Focal accent permit to explain the cohesion in a utterance or between two utterances. As a prosodic variable of discourse pauses are described by their form of realization (filled pause, silent pause, hesitation etc), their distribution and their function in utterance.

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Acoustic Variation Conditioned by Prosody in English Motherese

  • Choi, Han-Sook
    • Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.41-50
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    • 2010
  • The current study exploresacoustic variation induced by prosodic contexts in different speech styles,with a focus on motherese or child-directed speech (CDS). The patterns of variation in the acoustic expression of voicing contrast in English stops, and the role of prosodic factors in governing such variation are investigated in CDS. Prosody-induced acoustic strengthening reported from adult-directed speech (ADS)is examined in the speech data directed to infants at the one-word stage. The target consonants are collected from Utterance-initial and -medial positions, with or without focal accent. Overall, CDS shows that the prosodic prominence of constituents under focal accent conditions variesin the acoustic correlates of the stop laryngeal contrasts. The initial position is not found with enhanced acoustic values in the current study, which is similar to the finding from ADS (Choi, 2006 Cole et al, 2007). Individualized statistical results, however, indicate that the effect of accent on acoustic measures is not very robust, compared to the effect of accent in ADS. Enhanced distinctiveness under focal accent is observed from the limited subjects' acoustic measures in CDS. The results indicate dissimilar strategies to mark prosodic structures in different speech styles as well as the consistent prosodic effect across speech styles. The stylistic variation is discussed in relation to the listener under linguistic development in CDS.

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The Accentual Realization of Negation of Presupposition in English -In Comparison with General Negation- (전제 부정의 악센트 실현 양상 -일반 부정과 비교하여-)

  • Jun, Ji-Hyun;Park, Soon-Boak;Kim, Kee-Ho
    • Speech Sciences
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    • v.8 no.4
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    • pp.259-273
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    • 2001
  • This study investigates the accentual realization of negation denying the presupposition of a previous utterance compared with that of a general negation. Specifically we study what types and positions of accent are realized in the speech of Korean speakers using English as a second language as well as English native speakers. Gussenhoven (1983) and Bolinger (1985, 1986) suggested that when presupposition of previous utterances is denied through negation, focal accent is assigned to empty (functional) words, rather than negative morphemes. The results of this study, however, show that negation sentences denying presupposition have accents not only on empty (functional) words but also on content words. Almost every English native speaker places an H* accent on the negative morphemes themselves (not, no, nothing, etc.) in general negation, as well as on the other lexical items-verbs and prepositions in our data-in negations denying presuppositions. On the other hand, Korean speakers hardly distinguish between the two kinds of negation sentences, unlike native speakers through accentual differences. Rather, they give accent an every content word, including the negative morphemes in both general negations and negations denying presuppositions. Therefore, the results of this study do not absolutely support the previous studies on the denial of presupposition.

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Durational Interaction of Stops and Vowels in English and Korean Child-Directed Speech

  • Choi, Han-Sook
    • Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.61-70
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    • 2012
  • The current study observes the durational interaction of tautosyllabic consonants and vowels in the word-initial position of English and Korean child-directed speech (CDS). The effect of phonological laryngeal contrasts in stops on the following vowel duration, and the effect of the intrinsic vowel duration on the release duration of preceding stops in addition to the acoustic realization of the contrastive segments are explored in different prosodic contexts - phrase-initial/medial, focal accented/non-focused - in a marked speech style of CDS. A trade-off relationship between Voice Onset Time (VOT), as consonant release duration, and voicing phonation time, as vowel duration, reported from adult-to-adult speech, and patterns of durational variability are investigated in CDS of two languages with different linguistic rhythms, under systematically controlled prosodic contexts. Speech data were collected from four native English mothers and four native Korean mothers who were talking to their one-word staged infants. In addition to the acoustic measurements, the transformed delta measure is employed as a variability index of individual tokens. Results confirm the durational correlation between prevocalic consonants and following vowels. The interaction is revealed in a compensatory pattern such as longer VOTs followed by shorter vowel durations in both languages. An asymmetry is found in CV interaction in that the effect of consonant on vowel duration is greater than the VOT differences induced by the vowel. Prosodic effects are found such that the acoustic difference is enhanced between the contrastive segments under focal accent, supporting the paradigmatic strengthening effect. Positional variation, however, does not show any systematic effects on the variations of the measured acoustic quantities. Overall vowel duration and syllable duration are longer in English tokens but involve less variability across the prosodic variations. The constancy of syllable duration, therefore, is not found to be more strongly sustained in Korean CDS. The stylistic variation is discussed in relation to the listener under linguistic development in CDS.

Focal Parts of Utterance in Busan Korean

  • Cho, Yong-Hyung
    • Speech Sciences
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    • v.9 no.4
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    • pp.149-163
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    • 2002
  • Focal parts of utterance can be determined by new/contrastive information, a focus particle, a contrastive topic marker, or a nominative case marker in Busan Korean. Among these factors, new or contrastive information is the most important element in determining the intonational nucleus of an utterance. However, unlike Seoul Korean, when a focus particle, a topic marker, or a case marker contributes to the placement of the most prominent peak of an utterance, the peak is on the noun to which they are attached. Moreover, the case marker-ga shows more prominent pitch on the preceding noun than the noun followed by the topic marker-nun when-ga is used as emphatic or contrastive. This is one of the major problems for Busan Korean users in commanding natural and fluent Seoul Korean intonation even if they use standard written form of Seoul Korean in their speech.

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The Role of Contrast in Prosodically Induced Acoustic Variation

  • Choi, Han-Sook
    • Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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    • v.1 no.3
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    • pp.29-37
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    • 2009
  • This paper presents results from speech production experiments on English, Korean, and Hindi that compare variation in the acoustic expression of dissimilar phonological laryngeal contrast in stops conditioned by prosodic prominence. Target stops are analyzed from utterance-initial, -medial, and -final positions, with a variation in contrastive focal accent, from the speech data by six male American English speakers, five male Seoul Korean speakers, and five male Delhi Hindi speakers. The results show that prosodic prominence conditions enhanced distinctiveness between contrastive segments in the three languages. The manner in which prosodic prominence and prosodic phrase structure is marked at the level of segmental variation is, however, found to be language-specific to some extent. In addition, a correlation between the size of the phonological inventory and the corresponding acoustic variation was found but the linear correlation was not strongly supported with the findings in the present study.

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A Study on the Characteristics of Oddly Shaped Stone's Arrangement at Donggwoldo (동궐도(東闕圖)에 나타난 괴석(怪石)의 배치특성에 관한 연구)

  • Jung, Woo-Jin;Kim, Hwa-Ok;Park, Yool-Jin
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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    • v.32 no.2
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    • pp.12-26
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    • 2014
  • This study has researched the forms of arrangement and use of the oddly shaped stones which were used at palaces during Joseon Dynasty based on arrangements of stones as shown in Donggwoldo(東闕圖), and tried to identify its special features. The sorts of stone's arrangements which set formal patterns by assisting an axis in Donggwoldo can be classified as the single type using one stone, the symmetrical type using 2 stones symmetrically and the parallel type using 3 or more stones. The single type was used to endow a focal point and to accent centrality by arranging a stone on the axis performed from formal shaped buildings. The symmetrical type was used to show order and hierarchy by placing two odd-shaped stones on either side of a building. And the parallel type which is arranged three stones side by side, is put a middle stone on the central axis line to determine strong directional and frontality. Also similarity to method of arrangement of stones can be found from planting trees in a prominent way for scenery or planting trees symmetrically. Stones and trees can be chosen according to nature and scale of places and basically their effects of formation of axis and creating typical space is same. Based on these respect, the characteristics of arrangement of stones shown in Donggwoldo can be briefly summarized as follows. First, the oddly shaped stones were used by creating a centripetal space in order to show a grade of rank. Second, the distances among stones could be adjusted to the sizes of the architecture which was at the center. The aim was to provide stability through the balanced composition between the central axis and symmetrical structures. Third, the form of regularity was added by using stone vase in consideration of irregular shape of stone causing interference in forming regular symmetry. Fourth, a centrality was emphasized by adding change to central stones in the parallel type used 3 erect stones. Fifth, the sizes of stone were limited in order to make smooth for the mix and adjustment of its position with the types of other garden ornaments, so the oddly shaped stones in palace have portability. Sixth, the oddly shaped stones in palace which were appreciated as inspirational object basically were a sculpture of the same quality with suiseki (壽石), and the appreciative method, the composition and shape had developed in the same texture. Finally, the even number of stones by parallel type were arranged by equal partition. But odd number of stones followed the method with symmetrical arrangement on its center stone. These principles of stone arrangement are judged as distinguishing methods which oddly shaped stones was made and used in Joseon palaces.