Prosodic phrasing, pitch range, and word order variation in Murrinhpatha

Janet Fletcher; Evan Kidd; Hywel Stoakes; Rachel Nordlinger

Prosodic phrasing, pitch range, and word order variation in Murrinhpatha

Janet Fletcher, Evan Kidd, Hywel Stoakes, Rachel Nordlinger

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Like many Indigenous Australian languages, Murrinhpatha has flexible word order with no apparent configurational syntax. We analyzed an experimental corpus of Murrinhpatha utterances for associations between different thematic role orders, intonational phrasing patterns and pitch downtrends. We found that initial constituents (Agents or Patients) tend to carry the highest pitch targets (HiF0), followed by patterns of downstep and declination. Sentence-final verbs always have lower Hif0 values than either initial or medial Agents or Patients. Thematic role order does not influence intonational patterns, with the results suggesting that Murrinhpatha has positional prosody, although final nominals can disrupt global pitch downtrends regardless of thematic role.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology
Editors	Rosey Billington
Place of Publication	Canberra
Publisher	Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association Inc.
Pages	201-205
ISBN (Print)	2207-1296
Publication status	Published - 2022
Event	The 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology - Canberra, Australia, Canberra, Australia Duration: 13 Dec 2022 → 16 Dec 2022 https://sst2022.com/proceedings/

Conference

Conference	The 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Canberra
Period	13/12/22 → 16/12/22
Other	13-16 December 2022
Internet address	https://sst2022.com/proceedings/

Cite this

@inproceedings{d3156a4492bd4dc08c56333e328a4eec,

title = "Prosodic phrasing, pitch range, and word order variation in Murrinhpatha",

abstract = "Like many Indigenous Australian languages, Murrinhpatha has flexible word order with no apparent configurational syntax. We analyzed an experimental corpus of Murrinhpatha utterances for associations between different thematic role orders, intonational phrasing patterns and pitch downtrends. We found that initial constituents (Agents or Patients) tend to carry the highest pitch targets (HiF0), followed by patterns of downstep and declination. Sentence-final verbs always have lower Hif0 values than either initial or medial Agents or Patients. Thematic role order does not influence intonational patterns, with the results suggesting that Murrinhpatha has positional prosody, although final nominals can disrupt global pitch downtrends regardless of thematic role.",

author = "Janet Fletcher and Evan Kidd and Hywel Stoakes and Rachel Nordlinger",

year = "2022",

language = "English",

isbn = "2207-1296",

pages = "201--205",

editor = "{Rosey Billington}",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology",

publisher = "Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association Inc.",

note = "The 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology ; Conference date: 13-12-2022 Through 16-12-2022",

url = "https://sst2022.com/proceedings/",

}

Fletcher, J, Kidd, E, Stoakes, H & Nordlinger, R 2022, Prosodic phrasing, pitch range, and word order variation in Murrinhpatha. in RB (ed.), Proceedings of the 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology. Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association Inc., Canberra, pp. 201-205, The 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 13/12/22.

Prosodic phrasing, pitch range, and word order variation in Murrinhpatha. / Fletcher, Janet; Kidd, Evan; Stoakes, Hywel et al.
Proceedings of the 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology. ed. / Rosey Billington. Canberra: Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association Inc., 2022. p. 201-205.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Prosodic phrasing, pitch range, and word order variation in Murrinhpatha

AU - Fletcher, Janet

AU - Kidd, Evan

AU - Stoakes, Hywel

AU - Nordlinger, Rachel

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Like many Indigenous Australian languages, Murrinhpatha has flexible word order with no apparent configurational syntax. We analyzed an experimental corpus of Murrinhpatha utterances for associations between different thematic role orders, intonational phrasing patterns and pitch downtrends. We found that initial constituents (Agents or Patients) tend to carry the highest pitch targets (HiF0), followed by patterns of downstep and declination. Sentence-final verbs always have lower Hif0 values than either initial or medial Agents or Patients. Thematic role order does not influence intonational patterns, with the results suggesting that Murrinhpatha has positional prosody, although final nominals can disrupt global pitch downtrends regardless of thematic role.

AB - Like many Indigenous Australian languages, Murrinhpatha has flexible word order with no apparent configurational syntax. We analyzed an experimental corpus of Murrinhpatha utterances for associations between different thematic role orders, intonational phrasing patterns and pitch downtrends. We found that initial constituents (Agents or Patients) tend to carry the highest pitch targets (HiF0), followed by patterns of downstep and declination. Sentence-final verbs always have lower Hif0 values than either initial or medial Agents or Patients. Thematic role order does not influence intonational patterns, with the results suggesting that Murrinhpatha has positional prosody, although final nominals can disrupt global pitch downtrends regardless of thematic role.

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 2207-1296

SP - 201

EP - 205

BT - Proceedings of the 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology

A2 - null, Rosey Billington

PB - Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association Inc.

CY - Canberra

T2 - The 18th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology

Y2 - 13 December 2022 through 16 December 2022

ER -

Prosodic phrasing, pitch range, and word order variation in Murrinhpatha

Abstract

Conference

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