Emphatic tones

Emphatic tones are used in speech for two purposes:

1. To increase the semantic prominence of separate words in an utterance or an entire utterance;

2. To attach an emotional coloring to an utterance.

They are closely connected and often performed simultaneously.

Emphatic tones are variants of basic kinetic and static tones.

In writing form an emphatic tone is marked by doubling the tonetic mark stress.

The use of Emphatic Static Tones

The semantic role of an emphatic static tone is closely connected with the meaning of nuclear tone. Thus, emphasis on the onset (1^st stressed) syllable of high rising tune only increase the prominence, making the Q sound RHETORICAL.

Emphasis on the onset syllable of a falling tune enhances the energetic character of statement, command or exclamation.

When the onset syllable of a law rising tune is made emphatic a note of impatience.

When the emphasis is applied to the 2^nd, or third, or 4^th, etc. syllable, with the preceding stress being unemphatic the tune is broken, since the pitch-level of the syllable bearing an emphatic tone will be higher than the pitch of the preceding unemphatic syllables.

When there are several high emphatic stresses in the head each successive syllable is pronounced on the same extra-high level or even slightly higher.

There is no limit to the number of emphatic tones that may be used in an utterance, but it’s not common for many successive words to be made prominent in this way. Such patterns usually have an emphatic kinetic tone on the nucleus. Emphasis on Kinetic Nuclear Tones

The emphatic High Rise is most commonly used in General Q to express extreme surprise or a shocked reaction.

The Emphatic Low Rise is used in various types of utterances.

--- In statements and Imperatives this tone is often preceded by a low-pitched head and expresses a feeling of irritation, dissatisfaction and etc.

--- General and Special +ELR, preceded by a high-pitched head convey a meaning of extreme surprise and incredulity.

---When a low pitched head is pronounced before an ELR the Q acquires a note of antagonism and impatience.

The Emphatic Fall gives an utterance an energetic note.

---Statement pronounced with EF sound very categoric and decisive.

---Special Q +EF sound insistent or contrastive.

---Imperatives or exclamations +EF sound strong and enthusiastic.

When both the prenuclear and nuclear stresses are made emphatic the overall prominence of an utterance is naturally increased. In such cases emphatic stresses are frequently given not only to the notional words but to the functional words as well.

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