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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
2023-02-13 13:25:41
@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}},
}