The stress in compound and polysyllabic words

THE FALLING-RISING TONE, ITS USAGE AND MODAL MEANING

Description: The Fail-Rise is a complex tone which consists of two elements: the falling and the rising. The Fall-Rise may be realized in different forms. The choice between the form depends on the structure of the word which is pronounced with this tone.

The Falling-Rising tone may be spread over two or more syllables or it may be compressed into one syllable.

ˇYes. ˇWonderfully.

The Falling-Rising tone may cover several words or even a whole utterance. This form of the Fall-Rise is called Fall-Rise Divided. It is used when the speaker desires to emphasize the words that are between the two elements of this tone and to link them with the feeling conveyed by the Falling-Rising tone. In such a case all the syllables falling between two elements of this tone are pronounced on a low pitch level or they may gradually rise one after the other,

e.g. I’ve never ‘met them be‚fore.

Use: From the semantic point of view the falling-rising nuclear tone has an implicatory meaning: utterances with this nuclear tone give the impression that the speaker intends the hearer to understand more than the words themselves convey. The implication expressed in an utterance may be that of emphasis, hesitation, contrast, contradiction, correction, doubt, uncertainty, warning, apology, etc. In each case the exact implication stands out clearly from the context,

e.g.: 1. – They aren’t in the least alike. – They ˇare. (contradiction)

2. I’ve bought a new dress. The ˇdress | is 'very e‘legant. (emphasis)

3. – Let’s stay a little longer. – There is 'little ˇtime. (warning)