A prosody account of (inter)subjective modal adverbs in Spanish
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Adrián Cabedo Nebot
Abstract
In this article we examine the prosodic values of intersubjective and subjective readings conveyed by Spanish modal adverbs ending in -mente and which are used in talk-in-interaction. Our analysis consists of a pragmatic analysis of the adverbs in the dynamic context of speaker hearer interaction as well as of an acoustic analysis of the average, i.e. standardized, F0 values of the different readings. Our data from the CORLEC and Val.Es.Co corpora give an indication of significant differences in the prosodic configuration of subjectivity and intersubjectivity in Spanish talk-in-interaction. In the article we show that the speaker marks prosodically the pragmatic dimension involving shared knowledge with the co-participant. The global pitch of the intersubjective readings of the adverbs is perceived as superior to that of the subjective readings. Moreover, intersubjectivity readings display melodic fluctuation from the second syllable (fall) to the final one (rise). This attracts the attention of the co-participant, whereas the prosody of subjectivity presents a continuous rise. In general, we have not found any cases of de-accentuation (Astruc and Nolan 2007a, 2007b) in the prosodic realization of the Spanish adverbs under examination.
Abstract
In this article we examine the prosodic values of intersubjective and subjective readings conveyed by Spanish modal adverbs ending in -mente and which are used in talk-in-interaction. Our analysis consists of a pragmatic analysis of the adverbs in the dynamic context of speaker hearer interaction as well as of an acoustic analysis of the average, i.e. standardized, F0 values of the different readings. Our data from the CORLEC and Val.Es.Co corpora give an indication of significant differences in the prosodic configuration of subjectivity and intersubjectivity in Spanish talk-in-interaction. In the article we show that the speaker marks prosodically the pragmatic dimension involving shared knowledge with the co-participant. The global pitch of the intersubjective readings of the adverbs is perceived as superior to that of the subjective readings. Moreover, intersubjectivity readings display melodic fluctuation from the second syllable (fall) to the final one (rise). This attracts the attention of the co-participant, whereas the prosody of subjectivity presents a continuous rise. In general, we have not found any cases of de-accentuation (Astruc and Nolan 2007a, 2007b) in the prosodic realization of the Spanish adverbs under examination.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Contents v
- Editorial Preface vii
- List of Contributors ix
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Part I: Germanic languages
- Epistemic modality, Danish modal verbs and the tripartition of utterances 3
- Epistemic evaluation in factual contexts in English 22
- SHOULD in Conditional Clauses: When Epistemicity Meets Appreciative Modality 52
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Part II: Romance languages
- Epistemic modality and evidentiality in Romance: the Reportive Conditional 69
- Epistemic modality and perfect morphology in Spanish and French 103
- Anchoring evidential, epistemic and beyond in discourse: alào, vantér and vér in Noirmoutier island (Poitevin-Saintongeais) 131
- A prosody account of (inter)subjective modal adverbs in Spanish 153
- French expressions of personal opinion: je crois / pense / trouve / estime / considère que p 179
- Mirative extensions in Romance: evidential or epistemic? 196
- The Italian epistemic future and Russian epistemic markers as linguistic manifestations of conjectural conclusion: a comparative analysis 217
- Epistemic modality, evidentiality, quotativity and echoic use 242
- Evidentiality, epistemic modality and negation in Lithuanian: revisited 259
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Part IV: Non Indo-European languages
- Two kinds of epistemic modality in Hungarian 281
- Epistemic modalities in spoken Tibetan 296
- Intersubjectification revisited: a cross-categorical perspective 319
- Inference crisscross: Disentangling evidence, stance and (inter)subjectivity in Yucatec Maya 346
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Part V: Theoretical perspectives
- Epistemic modality and evidentiality from an enunciative perspective 383
- About Contributors 403
- Author Index 409
- Subject Index 414
- Language Index 421
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Contents v
- Editorial Preface vii
- List of Contributors ix
-
Part I: Germanic languages
- Epistemic modality, Danish modal verbs and the tripartition of utterances 3
- Epistemic evaluation in factual contexts in English 22
- SHOULD in Conditional Clauses: When Epistemicity Meets Appreciative Modality 52
-
Part II: Romance languages
- Epistemic modality and evidentiality in Romance: the Reportive Conditional 69
- Epistemic modality and perfect morphology in Spanish and French 103
- Anchoring evidential, epistemic and beyond in discourse: alào, vantér and vér in Noirmoutier island (Poitevin-Saintongeais) 131
- A prosody account of (inter)subjective modal adverbs in Spanish 153
- French expressions of personal opinion: je crois / pense / trouve / estime / considère que p 179
- Mirative extensions in Romance: evidential or epistemic? 196
- The Italian epistemic future and Russian epistemic markers as linguistic manifestations of conjectural conclusion: a comparative analysis 217
- Epistemic modality, evidentiality, quotativity and echoic use 242
- Evidentiality, epistemic modality and negation in Lithuanian: revisited 259
-
Part IV: Non Indo-European languages
- Two kinds of epistemic modality in Hungarian 281
- Epistemic modalities in spoken Tibetan 296
- Intersubjectification revisited: a cross-categorical perspective 319
- Inference crisscross: Disentangling evidence, stance and (inter)subjectivity in Yucatec Maya 346
-
Part V: Theoretical perspectives
- Epistemic modality and evidentiality from an enunciative perspective 383
- About Contributors 403
- Author Index 409
- Subject Index 414
- Language Index 421
