[93] in tlhIngan-Hol
intonation
dcctdw@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (dcctdw@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Sun Feb 16 15:22:44 1992
Errors-To: tlhIngan-Hol-request@village.boston.ma.us
Reply-To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@village.boston.ma.us>
From: mosquito@Athena.MIT.EDU
To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@village.boston.ma.us>
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 92 00:33:42 -0500
Something that isn't in Okrand's book that I've kinda been assuming:
intonation.
In English, when a speaker says a declarative sentence, the pitch falls at
the end of the sentence: "I am a Klingon."
When a speaker asks many kinds of questions, especially yes/no
questions, (and is actually honestly asking for information), the pitch
rises: "Are you a Klingon?"
With some kinds of questions, especially with question words, the
pitch falls: "What's that?" "Who's going to the party?" (voice can raise but
then sounds childish) "What do you want, anyway?", "Johnny! Good heaven's
you're safe! Where were you?" "...and furthermore, you don't even
belong here! Who are you, anyways?" "Now let me think: am I going insane?"
"Is it better to die or to take arms against a sea of troubles?"
There's a smaller set with constant high pitch, usually indicating
that you are trying to find out what was said before: "Now what was that
again?" "I don't remember now: WHO's going to that party?" "...and anyway,
those are the rumors I heard, and I wanted to hear it from the source, so:
ARE you a Klingon?"
The exact class of questions varies from language to language, but I've noticed
some kind of regularity (though not, of course, universal--especially when
tonal languages come into the picture), relating falling pitch with stating
something, and rising pitch with asking something, especially with yes/no
questions.
Trying to remember back, I think the Klingons in the movies also have this
regularity. In particular, non-rhetorical yes/no questions tend to rise
in pitch, and sentences which are clearly non-questions (declaratives,
exclamations, imperatives, etc.) always fall in pitch. I don't remember
exactly. Anyone know how far the regularity goes?
It's possible that the actors carried over English habits, given no
instructions to the contrary.
Anyone know about this?
\ /
--OO--
!! mosquito@athena.mit.edu
Kevin Iga
