| Abstract | The present study examines how lexical tone and focus contribute to the formation and alignment of fo contours in speech. This was done through an investigation of fo contour formation in short Mandarin sentences. These sentences all consisted of five syllables with varying tones on the middle three syllables. The sentences were produced by eight Mandarin speakers with four different focus patterns: focus on the first, second, or last word, or with no narrow focus. The fo patterns of these sentences were examined through point-by-point fo tracing, graphical comparison of averaged fo contours, fo-contour-syallable alignment analysis, and analysis of maximum, minimum fo, and slope of fo contours. The results indicate that (a) while the lexical tone of a syllable is the most important determining factor for the local fo contour of the syllable, focus extensively modulates the global shape of the fo curve, which inturn affects the height and even the shape of local contours; (b) the tones of adjacent syllables also extensively influence both the shape and height of the fo contour of the syllable, with the preceding tone extering more influence than the following tone; (c) despite extensive variations in shape and height, the fo contour of a tone remains closely aligned with the associated syllable; and (d) both focus and tonal interaction may generate substantial fo decline over the course of an utterance. These findings seem to be able to reduce the unpredictability in the formation and alignment of fo contours in speech. |
|---|
