8. The rising & falling nuclear tones in English.

The rising type of pitch-change in English has two structural varieties: a) the rise of the voice takes place on the stressed syllable; b) the rise is carried by the unstressed syllables following the stressed one while the latter is pronounced on a steady pitch.

4 variants of a nuclear rise should be distinguished in English.

1. The Mid Wide Rise . The voice rises from a mid-low to a high pitch-level.

2. The High Narrow Rise .The ending pitch-level is the same as for the M W R: near the top of the voice-range. But the H N R begins rather higher. 3. The Low Wide Rise. The rise of the voice in this case starts from the bottom of the voice-range and ends above the middle of it. 4. The Low Narrow Rise. The starting point of this tone coincides with that of the LW R: it is pitched at the bottom of the voice-range.

The difference in form as well as in meaning and usage is most conspicuous between the two narrow varieties: the High Narrow and the Low Narrow Rise. The former has a marked interrogative force bordering on surprise, incredulity, etc., and is typically heard in all kinds of interrogative repetitions, while the latter is most readily associated j§ with non-assertiveness and lack of interest. It is used in various casual reman afterthoughts, etc.

The meaning and usage of the two wide rising tones - mid and low - can be specified in terms of incompleteness in the most general sense of the word. The Low Wide Rise is commonly pronounced in unfinished parts of sentences indicating that a continuation is going to follow. When it is used in independent utterances there is an effect of the speaker s interest in the situation and in the listener s response.

The Mid Wide Rise is a typical nuclear tone of general, alternative {the first part) and disjunctive (the second part) questions.

From the Mid Wide and the Low Wide Rise there is only a small step to the Full Wide Rise covering the whole of the voice-range. This kind of the rising pitch-change is very often associated with an emotional colouring such as surprise, protest, enthusiasm, etc.

The falling type of nuclear pitch-change in English is realized by a downward move ment of the voice on the stressed syllable, while the syllables of the tail (if there arc any) form a level series on the pitch to which the nucleus has fallen, or they may continue the fall slightly to a still lower pitch. The difference, however, is not relevant since it can hardly be perceived by the listener.

According to the width of the fall and its position on the speaker's voice-range the following varieties of the given type of pitch-change are distinguished:

1. The Mid Wide Fall This is the most commonly used variety. It starts about the high-mid level and ends at the bottom.

2. The High Wide Fall The voice falls from a high or very high to a rathei pitch.

3. The High Narrow Fall The difference between the two high varieties is that the Narrow Fall ends rather higher: about the middle of the voice-range or even higher than that. 4. The Low Narrow Fall This tone begins about the mid-low pitch level and ends at the bottom of the voice-range.

A falling pitch-change is usually associated with finality and completeness, decisive­ness, assertiveness, etc. Each of the falling tones, naturally, has some peculiarity as far as its meaning and usage are concerned. The High Narrow Fall has the least degree of finality of all the falling tones. It sounds light and airy. It is typically used in direct address (the so-called calling tone) and short comments expressing agreement, etc.

The general meaning of a falling pitch-change can in full degree be applied to the Mid Wide Fall which is the most neutral (unmarked) variety. The term neutral here means, firstly, that this tone is commonly used in the so-called unemotional speech and, secondly, that its usage is least of all limited to a specific situation.

The High Wide Fall, alongside completeness, finality, etc., often conveys additional connotations of an emotional kind, such as insistence, protest, personal concern, and involvement.

The Low Narrow Fall is the opposite of the High Wide Fall in that it completely lacks personal interest or enthusiasm and often sounds phlegmatic, calm and rather dogmatic. As compared with the High Narrow Fall the Low Narrow Fall is much more independent: no continuation is signalled and the utterance sounds cool and reserved rather than light and airy.