Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Question intonation in Southern Swedish

Horne, Merle LU orcid and Roll, Mikael LU (2021) Fonetik 2021 In Lund Working Papers in Linguistics 56. p.54-57
Abstract (Swedish)
Swedish has been generally assumed not to have any well-defined question intonation. However, with respect to Southern Swedish, Lindblad & Gårding (1973) present data showing final rises in polar (Y/N) questions. Gårding (1979) also assumes a broader and higher F0 range in Y/N questions than in statements, particularly on the final focussed word. The present study investigates the extent to which these question cues occur in a material involving spontaneous dialogues led by a speaker of Southern Swedish (Malmö). Results for utterances with question syntax show final rises in 16% of the Y/N questions and 3% of the Wh-questions. For utterances without question syntax, 79% were associated with final... (More)
Swedish has been generally assumed not to have any well-defined question intonation. However, with respect to Southern Swedish, Lindblad & Gårding (1973) present data showing final rises in polar (Y/N) questions. Gårding (1979) also assumes a broader and higher F0 range in Y/N questions than in statements, particularly on the final focussed word. The present study investigates the extent to which these question cues occur in a material involving spontaneous dialogues led by a speaker of Southern Swedish (Malmö). Results for utterances with question syntax show final rises in 16% of the Y/N questions and 3% of the Wh-questions. For utterances without question syntax, 79% were associated with final rises. Comparing F0 on the first prosodic word of questions, both Y/N-and Wh-questions showed a significantly higher F0 level (ca. 2-3 ST higher) than statements. A further comparison of the F0 level on the most prominent word following the first prosodic word in questions and statements showed that Y/N questions had a higher F0 on the most prominent word than statements. However, Wh-questions did not differ significantly from statements in that respect. Thus initial F0-level appears to be a strong prosodic cue distinguishing between questions (both Y/N questions and Wh-questions) and statements in the Southern Swedish material examined. F0 level on the most prominent word following the first prosodic word is also a reliable prosodic cue distinguishing Y/N questions from statements and Wh-questions, but not for distinguishing between Y/N questions and Wh-questions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
intonation, Swedish, Y/N questions, Wh-questions, Southern Swedish, left periphery, question operator, illocutionary force
host publication
Proceedings of Fonetik 2021 : Lund, June 8–9, 2021 - Lund, June 8–9, 2021
series title
Lund Working Papers in Linguistics
editor
Roll, Mikael and Hjortdal, Anna
volume
56
pages
4 pages
publisher
Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University
conference name
Fonetik 2021
conference location
Sweden
conference dates
2021-06-08 - 2021-06-09
ISSN
0280-526X
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
10cae803-57d8-44e6-944e-9419f6cdbb04
alternative location
https://journals.lub.lu.se/LWPL/article/view/23276/20722
date added to LUP
2021-06-10 09:00:47
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:44:07
@inproceedings{10cae803-57d8-44e6-944e-9419f6cdbb04,
  abstract     = {{Swedish has been generally assumed not to have any well-defined question intonation.  However,  with  respect  to  Southern  Swedish,  Lindblad  &  Gårding  (1973) present data showing final rises in polar (Y/N) questions. Gårding (1979) also assumes a broader and higher F0 range in Y/N questions than in statements, particularly on the final focussed word. The present study investigates the extent to which these  question  cues  occur  in  a  material  involving  spontaneous  dialogues  led  by  a speaker of Southern Swedish (Malmö). Results for utterances with question syntax show  final  rises  in  16%  of  the  Y/N  questions  and  3%  of  the  Wh-questions.  For utterances without question syntax, 79% were associated with final rises. Comparing F0 on the first prosodic word of questions, both Y/N-and Wh-questions showed a significantly higher F0 level (ca. 2-3 ST higher) than statements. A further comparison of the F0 level on the most prominent word following the first prosodic word in questions and statements showed that Y/N questions had a higher F0 on the most prominent word than statements. However, Wh-questions did not differ significantly from statements in that respect. Thus initial F0-level appears to be a strong prosodic cue  distinguishing  between  questions  (both  Y/N  questions  and  Wh-questions)  and statements in the Southern Swedish material examined. F0 level on the most prominent  word  following  the  first  prosodic  word  is  also  a  reliable  prosodic  cue distinguishing  Y/N  questions  from  statements  and  Wh-questions,  but  not  for distinguishing between Y/N questions and Wh-questions.}},
  author       = {{Horne, Merle and Roll, Mikael}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings of Fonetik 2021 : Lund, June 8–9, 2021}},
  editor       = {{Roll, Mikael and Hjortdal, Anna}},
  issn         = {{0280-526X}},
  keywords     = {{intonation; Swedish; Y/N questions; Wh-questions; Southern Swedish; left periphery; question operator; illocutionary force}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  pages        = {{54--57}},
  publisher    = {{Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Working Papers in Linguistics}},
  title        = {{Question intonation in Southern Swedish}},
  url          = {{https://journals.lub.lu.se/LWPL/article/view/23276/20722}},
  volume       = {{56}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}