In Chichewa (Bantu, Malawi), there are three differences in fundamental frequency (£0) between questions and statements: (a) questions have a fmal rise, while statements have a final fall, (b) questions do not display the strong downdrift trend found in statements, and (c) questions are produced in a higher pitch range than statements. A quantitative model is proposed that captures these generalizations through a dependency of the bottom of the current pitch range on the boundary tone. It is argued that such a model accounts for the distinction between question and statement better than a model in which pitch range distinctions are encoded in the phonological representation.
CITATION STYLE
Myers, S. (1996). Boundary tones and the phonetic implementation of tone in Chichewa. Studies in African Linguistics, 25(1), 29–60. https://doi.org/10.32473/sal.v25i1.107403
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