Don’t look at me inDon’t look at me in thatthat tone tone of voiceof voice

discoursediscourse accent and linguisticaccent and linguistic focusingfocusing

John Partridge, SECL German

Some quotesSome quotes

““There’s nothing like There’s nothing like quaquality – and this is lity – and this is nothing nothing likelike quality.” (anon., but quality.” (anon., but unfortunately true)unfortunately true)

““You really speak a most excellent accent You really speak a most excellent accent without the slightest Englishwithout the slightest English”” ( (George George Mikes: Mikes: How to be a Brit. How to be a Brit.

Stress & Accent 1Stress & Accent 1

What is What is stressstress??

The varying degree of emphasis placed on The varying degree of emphasis placed on particular particular syllablessyllables in a in a wordword: essentially : essentially invariable, except in word-play.invariable, except in word-play.

He didn’t He didn’t frusfrustrate the cat: he trate the cat: he cascastrated it.trated it.

Cricket: ‘Catch it! vs ‘cat ‘shitCricket: ‘Catch it! vs ‘cat ‘shit

Mechanics: ‘Ratchet vs ‘rat ‘shitMechanics: ‘Ratchet vs ‘rat ‘shit

Stress: examplesStress: examples

intointo’na’nation: tion: undisputed stress patternundisputed stress patternBUTBUT‘‘concontroversytroversyconcon’tro’troversyversycontrocontro’ver’versysyNo agreed orthodoxy No agreed orthodoxy - source of bitter - source of bitter disputedisputeHowever - However - no meaning shiftno meaning shift

Stress and Accent 2Stress and Accent 2

What is What is accentaccent??

Emphasis placed on a particular word or Emphasis placed on a particular word or expression used in an expression used in an utteranceutterance. The word . The word or expression retains its stress pattern.or expression retains its stress pattern.

What does it do?What does it do?

It focuses attention on that particular part It focuses attention on that particular part of the utteranceof the utterance

Ambiguities and meaning shiftAmbiguities and meaning shift

sleeping ‘partner vs ‘sleeping partnersleeping ‘partner vs ‘sleeping partner

Taliban ‘fighters – vs ‘Taliban fightersTaliban ‘fighters – vs ‘Taliban fighters

Accent againAccent again

How do we recognise it?How do we recognise it?

There is no particular and exclusive form, There is no particular and exclusive form, but we seem to perceive it intuitively:but we seem to perceive it intuitively:

LoudnessLoudness

Pitch changePitch change

PausePause

Information, Intonation and Information, Intonation and Contrastive StressContrastive Stress

Concept of Concept of Head of Phrase:Head of Phrase: given given material, no particularly obtrusive material, no particularly obtrusive accentuationaccentuation

New material may be markedly accented New material may be markedly accented to to focusfocus on a particular element on a particular element

Contrastive stress: contrast with what? Contrastive stress: contrast with what?

Not necessarily binary: me versus the restNot necessarily binary: me versus the rest

Misplaced accent?Misplaced accent?

‘‘royroyal editor vs royal al editor vs royal ‘ed‘editoritorthe the ‘vill‘village pump vs the village age pump vs the village ‘pump‘pump (German/American accentuation?)(German/American accentuation?)It’s really the rich European It’s really the rich European ‘clubs‘clubs which which will benefit (will benefit (Today Programme, BBC Today Programme, BBC Radio 4, 5/10/06, reporting on the drain of Radio 4, 5/10/06, reporting on the drain of talent from Brazilian football clubstalent from Brazilian football clubs))She sits there … in her She sits there … in her ‘match‘matching suiting suitLife as a Life as a ‘ci‘city clerkty clerk

A classic of focusing and A classic of focusing and presuppositionpresupposition

““Tony called Harriet a Socialist, and then Tony called Harriet a Socialist, and then sheshe insulted insulted him” him” (original template (original template attributed to George Lakoff, instigating the attributed to George Lakoff, instigating the Generative Semantics debate)Generative Semantics debate)

cf. “Tony called Harriet a Socialist, and cf. “Tony called Harriet a Socialist, and then she inthen she insulsulted him”ted him”

The role of The role of context context in discourse focussing in discourse focussing and grammatical processand grammatical process

Is focusing only done by accent?Is focusing only done by accent?

J.L. Austin (1962) J.L. Austin (1962) How to do Things with How to do Things with Words Words identifies illocutionaryidentifies illocutionary acts which acts which make explicit and focus on the speaker’s make explicit and focus on the speaker’s intention (leads to the Performative intention (leads to the Performative hypothesis)hypothesis)

I promise to buy you a bunch of red I promise to buy you a bunch of red ribbonsribbons

Accent and Words 1Accent and Words 1

English conveys much discourse meaning English conveys much discourse meaning by tone of voice, but by tone of voice, but

It is often difficult to identify intonation in It is often difficult to identify intonation in written textwritten text

Where Where diddid you get that hat ? you get that hat ?

I I dodo like to be beside the seaside like to be beside the seaside

Spot the difference?Spot the difference?

Accent and Words 2Accent and Words 2

German uses modal particles to convey much German uses modal particles to convey much discourse meaning:discourse meaning:

Following Moulton(1962) The particle Following Moulton(1962) The particle dochdoch is is used to focus on the following word and indicate used to focus on the following word and indicate a yah-boo attitude to a previous speaker’s a yah-boo attitude to a previous speaker’s utterance.utterance.

Er ist doch geEr ist doch gekomkommen.men.Well, he Well, he came came (he was a waste of space once (he was a waste of space once he got here, but at least he was there)he got here, but at least he was there)

Chickens and Eggs 1Chickens and Eggs 1

Claim by Bolinger, Chapman, Blakemore Claim by Bolinger, Chapman, Blakemore et alet al: : accent is accent is non-linguisticnon-linguistic, and overlaid on a pre-, and overlaid on a pre-existent sequence of words, i.e. existent sequence of words, i.e. paralinguisticparalinguistic.. DoesDoes para- para- == non-? non-?

English makes extensive use of intonation to English makes extensive use of intonation to focus.focus. German appears to use modal particles to focus.German appears to use modal particles to focus.Does English lack words and German tone of Does English lack words and German tone of voice?voice?What came first?What came first?

Chickens and Eggs 2Chickens and Eggs 2

I I dodo like to be beside the seaside like to be beside the seaside??? I do ??? I do likelike to be beside the seaside to be beside the seaside

Relative clauses in English: Restrictive and non-Relative clauses in English: Restrictive and non-restrictiverestrictive

The deputy Prime Minister who expressed a passion for The deputy Prime Minister who expressed a passion for melons was on the skids.melons was on the skids.Restrictive: Which one?Restrictive: Which one?The deputy Prime Minister, who expressed a passion for The deputy Prime Minister, who expressed a passion for melons, was on the skids. (Rising intonation before melons, was on the skids. (Rising intonation before commas)commas)Non-restrictive: So what? He likes eggs on his suit too.Non-restrictive: So what? He likes eggs on his suit too.

Hühner und Eier 1Hühner und Eier 1

German modal particlesGerman modal particles

Er Er ist doch gekommen. ist doch gekommen. At least At least hehe came (which is more than anyone else did) came (which is more than anyone else did)Er Er ist ist doch gekommen.doch gekommen.He really He really diddid come. (So there!) come. (So there!)Er ist Er ist dochdoch gekommen. gekommen.He He did did come after all (despite the doubt he wouldn’t).come after all (despite the doubt he wouldn’t).Er ist doch geEr ist doch gekomkommen.men.Well, he Well, he came. came. (He was a waste of space once he got (He was a waste of space once he got here, but at least he was there.)here, but at least he was there.)Acccentuation effects meaning change in particleAcccentuation effects meaning change in particle

Hühner und Eier 2Hühner und Eier 2

German relative clausesGerman relative clausesNo formal distinction between restrictive and non-restrictiveNo formal distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive

Mit dem Vizekanzler, der sich besonders für Melonen interessierte, Mit dem Vizekanzler, der sich besonders für Melonen interessierte, ging es steil abwärts.ging es steil abwärts. No change in intonation contour, commas obligatory. No change in intonation contour, commas obligatory. No differentiation in meaning – has to be done with different No differentiation in meaning – has to be done with different determiner, possibly with accentuated gender/case prefix;determiner, possibly with accentuated gender/case prefix;Mit Mit demdemjenigen Vizekanzler, der sich besonders für Melonen jenigen Vizekanzler, der sich besonders für Melonen interessierte, ging es steil abwärts.interessierte, ging es steil abwärts. Non-restrictive: No change in intonation contour (but maybe Non-restrictive: No change in intonation contour (but maybe pauses), commas obligatory.pauses), commas obligatory.

Chicken omeletteChicken omelette

Both English and German use words and accent to Both English and German use words and accent to focus, but to varying degrees. However, not focus, but to varying degrees. However, not complementary distributioncomplementary distribution

ArgumentsArgumentsEnglish emphatic English emphatic dodo is unacceptable if not accented, is unacceptable if not accented, therefore must be inserted into sentence so that it can be therefore must be inserted into sentence so that it can be accented.accented.German particles change meaning when accented, must German particles change meaning when accented, must therefore be inserted with accent.therefore be inserted with accent.Relative clauses: English accentuation signifies different Relative clauses: English accentuation signifies different meaning. German must insert accentuated particle to meaning. German must insert accentuated particle to make a distinction.make a distinction.

So what now?So what now?

Is accent accidental?Is accent accidental?What triggers it?What triggers it?Context – what is it?Context – what is it?Discourse history Discourse history Co-text – preceding dialogue and linguistic formsCo-text – preceding dialogue and linguistic formsDiscourse intention of participantsDiscourse intention of participants““Mutual knowledge” of participantsMutual knowledge” of participants““Shared knowledge” of participantsShared knowledge” of participants

Use of accent: example typesUse of accent: example types

AdditionAddition

EnumerationEnumeration

ModalityModality

NegationNegation

VERUM-FokusVERUM-Fokus

PrepositionsPrepositions

PrefixesPrefixes

Accent in Action 1Accent in Action 1

Addition:Addition:

AlsoAlso// in addition in addition, I’d like to stress that, I’d like to stress that

AußerdemAußerdem möchte ich betonen möchte ich betonen

EnumerationEnumeration

FourthlyFourthly, ..., ...

Und Und viertensviertens … …

Accent in Action 2Accent in Action 2

Modality (somewhat variable, doesn’t always Modality (somewhat variable, doesn’t always work):work):

I I mustmust say that’s the giddy limit, old chap say that’s the giddy limit, old chap

?Ich ?Ich mussmuss sagen, das ist doch der Gipfel, mein sagen, das ist doch der Gipfel, mein FreundFreund

That That cancan’t be right’t be right

Das Das kannkann nicht stimmen nicht stimmen

I can I can promisepromise you I’ll be there you I’ll be there

?I ?I cancan promise you I’ll be there promise you I’ll be there

Accent in Action 3Accent in Action 3

Negation Negation

That’s That’s notnot right right

Das stimmt Das stimmt nichtnicht

WeWe don’t don’t do thatdo thatDas machen wir Das machen wir nichtnicht

Accent in Action 4Accent in Action 4

VERUM-FokusVERUM-Fokus

WeWe don’tdon’t do do that thatDas Das machenmachen wir nicht wir nicht

Accent in Action 5Accent in Action 5

PrepositionsPrepositionsHe wasn’t lying He wasn’t lying onon the bed: he was lying the bed: he was lying underunder the bed the bedEr lag nicht Er lag nicht aufauf dem Bett, er lag dem Bett, er lag unterunter dem Bett. dem Bett.Prefixes (wordplay)Prefixes (wordplay)Als Franz-Josef Als Franz-Josef umumgebracht wurde, waren viele Leute gebracht wurde, waren viele Leute aufaufgebracht. gebracht. When Franz-Josef was killed, many people were When Franz-Josef was killed, many people were outragedoutragedYou thought this was going to be a You thought this was going to be a popularpopular lecture: we’ll, lecture: we’ll, it’s turning out to be pretty it’s turning out to be pretty ununpopularpopular