Original Paper

The Intonation of Gapping and Coordination in Japanese: Evidence for Intonational Phrase and Utterance
Shigeto Kawahara^a, Takahito Shinya<sup>b

a</sup>University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., USA;
^bRIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Phonetica 2008;65:62-105 (DOI: 10.1159/000130016)

  Abstract

In previous studies of Japanese intonational phonology, levels of prosodic constituents above the Major Phrase have not received much attention. This paper argues that at least two prosodic levels exist above the Major Phrase in Japanese. Through a detailed investigation of the intonation of gapping and coordination in Japanese, we argue that each syntactic clause projects its own Intonational Phrase, while an entire sentence constitutes one Utterance. We show that the Intonational Phrase is characterized by tonal lowering, creakiness and a pause in final position, as well as a distinctive large initial rise and pitch reset at its beginning. The Utterance defines a domain of declination, and it is signaled by an even larger initial rise, as well as a phrasal H tone at its right edge. Building on our empirical findings, we discuss several implications for the theory of intonational phonology.

Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Shigeto Kawahara, Department of English, University of Georgia, Park Hall 254, Athens, GA 30602-6205 (USA), Tel. +1 706 542 2196, Fax +1 706 542 2181, E-Mail kawahara@uga.edu

  Article Information

Received: January 23, 2005
Accepted: December 15, 2007
Published online: May 28, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 44
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 0