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Intonation in discourse analysis. With material from Finnish, English, Alemannic German
Phonetica
|January 1, 1977
Abstract
Argument:
intonation is not additional, but essential to the composition of texts.
Motivation:
even pathological (written) texts can be made to sound normal when read with a good intonation; even well-formed (written) texts cannot be put across when read with a poor intonation; loss of intonation, in aphasia, is coupled with inability to handle texts, and inversely.
Theory:
intonation is analysed either as phonological pattern or as a constituent of texts. The lexical meaning of intonations (such as question, statement) is spurious; social tradition makes available certain (spoken) rhetorical topoi for use in standard situations; their use ensures textual meaning. It is not predictable in any given instance.