review watt phonology intonation watt david l e 1994 _ phonology semology intonation english instrumental systemic perspective _ bloomington indiana university linguistics club publications 192pp paper reviewed karen steffen chung karchung ccms ntu edu tw good books intonation easy come reviewer opinion considered one introductory text take english intonation systematic way book ostensible main thesis concerns semantic interpretation various intonation melodies primary attraction either offers solid collection valuable observations bits pieces english intonation think best way justice book like review simply pick found interesting points condense without much additional commentary intonation subfield linguistics still wide open pioneering work author describes intonation one puzzling idiosyncratic aspects human speech within sphere language behavior points role intonation ynamism discourse preface unlike another work series recently reviewed linguist taylor _ phonetic model intonation english _ book focuses mainly language speak hear rather mechanical often difficultto interpret computer models though computer recorded analyzed data also used help analyze stretches speech study watt concludes since instrumentation far infallible human ear also quite subjective hears reliable method use auditory impressions initial recording data instrumentally collected data supplement book starts useful introduction terms defined goals set two sections main body stress development phonological semantic model intonation respectively divided two chapters entitled part phonology intonation tones sequences part ii intonation meaning semantics phonological gradience two appendices instrumental data recorded speech consist selected examples taken halliday _ course spoken english intonation _ 1970 corpus compiled author book concludes 14 pages references data come nonsurreptitious unmonitored casual iadic conversations native speakers educated standard toronto english rather rare field works based british rp standard us english author points data intended contrast taken varieties english main goal achieve consistency speech form used among power distance parameters social personal relations author chooses data collection equal uperordinate ubordinate acquainted opposed intimate foreign faceto face rather istance e phone conversations subject various kinds distortion excluded intonation suprasegmental e feature whose domain extends one segment feature language author adopts _ prosodic _ use pitch contours realize linguistic meaning approach analyzing follow terms watt uses study _ tonality _ refers division message phonological tone groups information units iu _ tonicity _ involves process locating salient syllable tone group focal point ideational meaning information unit group must contain least one tonic syllable located onset pitch movement associated nuclear tone contour _ tone _ refers selection one five simple two compound tone contours phonologically realize interpersonal meanings iu particular tone choice mediate speaker hearer relations e g indicate need response change turn continuation mediate speakermessage relations e attitudes toward message reservation certainty assertion pp 1820 also defined _ paratone _ larger intonational unit extend beyond breath group larger intonational unit found study section one begins proposing theory intonation must strive make two different kinds descriptions namely 1 phonological one emphasizes identification nuclear tones refinements derived instrumental analysis 2 semantic description functional impetus responsible motivating language behavior includes tone sequences intertonal relations paratones connected speech section one concentrates 1 watt describes _ simple tones _ namely 1 simple falling 2 simple high rise fallrise option 3 low rise _ complex tones _ consist one pitch movement naturally complicated 4 occurs last two syllables final word utterance reaches top level pitch falls sharply 5 consists risefall movement intensity rise also _ compound tones _ e combinations simple tones fused single tone group two compound tones 1 3 5 3 watt notes researchers proposed model intonational meaning similar grammar one compound tone linked one particular meaning function intonation fact function like intonation realization semantics rather syntax interpretation intonation must made within context grammar linked element element syntax g brown first initials given references puts phonological resources signaling meaning far fewer semantic functions exploit p 73 notable pattern revealed instrumental analysis spoken data _ downdrift _ declining fundamental frequency f0 span short utterances wide range languages oscillates two extremes equally descending slightly narrowing bandwidth sentence final fall slight prolongation breath group boundary declination slope always constant series descending plateaux sets declination lines model usceptible errors data interpretation following individual nuclear tones pp 6671 section two concentrates developing semantic model intonation e providing initial account meaning often attributed intonation watt advances view intonational meaning derived phonological contrasts tone tonicity phonetic gradience characteristic contrasts less consistency generalizing meaning intonation phonological description sound substance due 1 nature intonation 2 variety inferences people draw voicerelated cues members speech community make inferences meant said said must draw conclusions discrete meanings part speech continuum include e g physical appearance speaker analysis deal semantics intonation take either linguistic approach look meaning contrasts formto function correspondences take psychological approach polar clines posited e g bored vs interested timid vs confident watt addresses linguistic contribution tonicity tone p 76 ff watt refers halliday stresses ideation function intonation highlights information specific attention e given vs new also fresh vs contrasted stressing new information outcome peaker assessed importance tonic unmarked utterances tend fall last lexical item tone group results broad unspecified focus focus narrowed contrastive utterance p 79 intonation interpersonal metafunction serving channel linguistic expression attitude though channel channels include register lexicon sometimes certain stylistic effects achieved combining incongruous linguistic content intonations e g imagine put goddam pipe away uttered smiling gentle tone voice listener perception speaker attitude may based two signals combined p 87 intonation adds information disambiguate speech function speech function identified interpreted cumulative effect contextual morphosyntactic phonological cues p 91 include competition turns initiating peak used initiating topic marked initial peak intensity high pitch continuing upward drift responding second speaker approximates relative pitch height baseline last utterance produced previous speaker e accommodation one speaker melodic pattern another terminating fall lowest level speaker voice range termination often falls well baseline final fall checking function conversation monitoring sporadic checks status conversation e checking hearer understands agrees appropriateness expressed still engaged intended elicit response hearer usually involves change turn e g nt right know eh certainty speakers indicate certainty known absolute certainty irrelevant conditional certainty unknown assumed watt points major difficulty description intonation inherently gradient characteristic spoken medium gradient linguistic paralinguistic well division constitutes linguistic contrast signals modification phonological cline within contrast watt offers revealing quote bolinger higher rise greater exasperation statement greater surprise curiosity question lower fall greater certainty finality utterance statement greater confidence question 1986 240 watt words greater degree rise height given contour greater strength contextual meaning assumed contour p 109 watt sums work nicely says could easily applied worthy field inquiry final chapter thus certain fractal logic seems pervade investigation intonation magnify field scrutiny hopes reaching explanation details find new unexpected details need explanation deeper probe next level detail difficult becomes extricate detail parsimonious description new possibilities p 121 addition recapping highlights book conclusion watt offers vision work contribute field general namely compatible point departure description discourse p 122 believes accurate synthesizing intonations may possibly add knowledge auditory perceptions also help develop models synthesized speech although book basic structure clearly set section chapter titles contents subdivision diverse often hard incorporate coherent linear narrative intonation one must content oneself fragments one able latch onto yet one feeling much said motley collection ideas observations analyses much many works intonation available reason interested reader advised bear author take notes enjoy ride book rather amateurish lowbudget look perhaps expected university publications kind instrumental graphs bordered thick black outlines incorporated chapters many places seem stuffed little close written text though problem clarity text set relatively large serif typeface makes comfortable reading though occasionally startlingly inconsistent type sizes turn new concepts e g _ paratone _ _ concord _ appear bold easily spotted minor typos appear diy look design serious flaw though anyone unalloyed content get plenty book overall worthwhile rather refreshing book someone seriously interested intonation reader better ready however invest bit work mine wealth reviewed karen steffen chung department foreign languages literatures national taiwan university taipei