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Continuing Research on Latvian Syllable IntonationsTolesnis latvių kalbos priegaidžių tyrimas

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Continuing Research on Latvian Syllable Intonations

Tolesnis latvių kalbos priegaidžių tyrimas

Dace MARKUSRiga Teacher Training and Educational Management AcademyImantas 7.linija 1, Riga Latvia, LV-1083markus@latnet.lv

Zinny BONDOhio University1197 Sunny Hill DrColumbus, OH 43221-2336U.S.A.

SummaryThe system of syllable intonations is a phe-

nomenon related to the definite prosodic system of Latvian language: a dialect, the group of the variants, the standard language. We know that the difference between intonations finds its realization in all long syllables. Our aim was to investigate the use of Latvian syllable intonations nowadays. The research is based on recordings and observations collected by

the authors in 2000 to 2009. The method used in this experiment is an analysis of spectrograms. When the recordings were made, the speakers were asked to use the standard language.

Key words: syllable intonation, standard lan-guage, sporadic and hyper normal syllable intona-tions.

Santrauka

Straipsnio autorės tęsia latvių kalbos priegaidžių tyrinėjimus. Šio tyrimo sfera – bendrinės latvių kalbos priegaidės. Lyginami 2000–2009 m. autorių gauti informantų kalbos analizės rezultatai. Kaip lyginamoji iliustracija panaudojami ir ankstesniais metais kitų autorių pateikti priegaidės tipų apibū-dinimai.

Aprašytas priegaidžių mišimas, neskyrimas ir bendrinės latvių kalbos neatitinkanti vartosena. Kar-tu parodomas ir latvių kalbos, kaip valstybinės kal-bos, vartojimo siaurėjimas lyginant su pirmaisiais atgautos valstybinės nepriklausomybės metais.

Pagrindinės išvados. Latvių kalboje priegaidžių vartojimas nėra labai svarbus komunikacijai. Nėra labai daug dažnai vartojamų minimaliųjų porų, kurių abu nariai skirtųsi tik priegaide. Tariant tokio tipo žodžius, rekomenduojama skirti priegaides. Vieno individo kalboje galima išgirsti ir daugiau negu tris priegaides, bet kai kurios jų yra sporadinės. Galima išgirsti ir hipernormalių priegaidžių. Dažniausiai joms būdingas hipernormalus tęsimas, nes kalbėtojas suvo-kia, kad tęstinė priegaidė yra norminė, bet jo gimtojoje tarmėje jos nėra.

Esminiai žodžiai: priegaidė, norminė tartis, spo-radinės ir hipernormalios priegaidės.

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The system of syllable intonations is a phe-nomenon related to the definite prosodic system of Latvian language: a dialect, the group of the variants, the standard language. We know that the difference between intonations finds its realization in all long syllables. Our aim was to investigate the use of Latvian syllable intonations nowadays. The research is based on recordings and observations collected by the authors in 2000 to 2009. The method used in this experiment is an analysis of spectrograms. When the recordings were made, the speakers were asked to use the standard language.

Usually, the intonations of the Latvian language syllable prove to be the most conservative phonetic feature that is preserved in the speech even when the dialect speakers have mastered the phonetic features characteristic to the Latvian standard language. This type of phenomenon could also be observed when the students of University of Latvia and Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy were speaking – even when they were studying to be-come specialists or teachers of the Latvian language. We have carried out several researches before on the phonetic features of the Latvian language, the use of the language and its change. It needs to be mentioned in the introductory part of the paper that even though the linguists of the Latvian language often emphasise the importance of the use of syllable intonations, I did not have to master the use of syllable intonations during the years of my studies from 1969 to 1974 despite the fact that I was a student of the Faculty of Philology.

The mix of syllable intonations is encouraged by other factors during the last years. After Latvia regained its independence, many speakers of other native languages began to study Latvian intensely. This was encouraged by the fact that Latvian became a state language in the country and a precondition for taking certain positions and professions that de-manded the knowledge of the language on a certain level. Many people of other nationalities residing in Latvia began speaking Latvian without paying any attention to the variations of syllable intonations. Thus, for example, we have written on the relatively monotone syllable intonation that is used by the native Russian speakers living in Latvia when they speak Latvian. This intonation resembles a prolonged falling syllable intonation in Latvian.

In 2000 we came to the conclusion that “The use of different syllable intonations does not affect to a large extent the understanding of word meanings because there are not so many minimal pairs of fre-quently used words. For these reasons the speakers of

Latvian as the second language do not strongly feel the reason for differentiating the syllable intonations in everyday communication” (Markus, 2000, 11).

Somewhat later, we can find an article called “Genuine Latvian Pronunciation – a Feature of Iden-tity” published in the symposium of thesis from the conference “Baltic Studies” (2005) that says: „This issue has become especially urgent due to increas-ingly intensive studying of the Latvian in the schools with the Russian language of instruction; people of different nationalities more use the Latvian language as the state language in enterprises, more often we can hear the Latvian language in communication” (Markus, 2005, 57).

It is true, though, as proved by the year 2009 that the situation concerning the use of the Latvian language is not so bright as it was during the first years when the independence of the country was regained. Yes, we can say that the graduators of the secondary schools do know the state language rather well and considerably better than during the soviet regime, however, the use of the language on every-day basis has decreased. This is largely influenced by the private business over which the Law on the State Language has little power as well as the mis-taken flexibility of Latvians themselves when using languages that does not foster the use of the Latvian language. The mastery of the Latvian language by all means is still important in governmental institu-tions and enterprises, however, job advertisements often demand the knowledge of Russian. Common syllabi, joint international projects with other coun-tries encourage learning of languages and exchange of experience. However, there are also many tertiary institutions that offer courses only in Russian thus excluding those students (along with the possibility to master the particular profession) who had not chosen to study Russian at school. Additionally, it could re-sult in Latvian being excluded from a certain area of economic activity in Latvia, for instance, aviation.

The results of our observations and investigations show that still, the use of syllable intonations is not the determinant in communication. In 2009 the official syllable intonation system in the standard literary Latvian language overall is the same as it has been during the times when other articles have been published. Officially, there are two normative systems:

1. With three syllable intonations (falling, level or drawling, broken);

2. With two syllable intonations (level or drawl-ing is obligatory, the second one is that not drawled – falling or broken).

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Let us have a look at some conclusions by other authors as concerns the character of the Latvian language syllable intonations that Professor Dzintra Bonda and I have together collected.

Phonetic Characterization of intonations (Ekblom, 1933):

− Syllables with level tone are somewhat longer than syllables with falling tone. Syllables with broken tone are shortest.

− Typical pitch contour for level tone shows short rise at beginning; falling tone is charac-terized by a rapid fall; broken tone rises and then also shows a rapid fall, with laryngealiza-tion or glottal stop in middle of syllable.

Phonetic Characterization of intonations (Laua, 1969):

− Level tone: pitch either rises slightly or re-mains level.

− Falling tone: characterized by a rapid pitch fall.

− Broken tone: pitch rises at the beginning of a syllable; then there is irregular phonation or a glottal stop; finally, pitch may fall, rise, or remain level.

Phonetic Characterization of intonations (Karins, 1996):

− No cross-speaker agreement about durational relationships.

− Level tone is characterized by level or rising fundamental frequency.

− Falling tone fundamental frequency rises at beginning of syllable and then drops sharp-ly.

− Broken tone is similar to falling tone; on occasion laryngealization is present. Lehiste (1972) reported that 90% of syllables showed change in mode of phonation.

Observations carried out during the recent years show that a large part of the society lacks a system in using syllable intonations in the Latvian language (proved by the utterances of the speakers of various dialects when using the standard language, Latvian spoken by the inhabitants with a different native language). One part of the speakers use syllable intonations only in the minimal pairs when the mean-ings of the words need to be deciphered; one third constantly speaks with the differentiation of two syl-lable intonations (the opposition between level and falling intonation prevails, however, other cases can be heard too); there are only a few people using all three standard syllable intonations. Even when one of the users of three syllable intonations was recorded and later analysed (Latvian linguist Rasma Grīsle),

we came to a conclusion together that the informant was hesitating between the use of level and falling intonation and sometimes the pronunciation of the broken intonation sounded softer without the sharp glottalisation that was expected. Also, 2009 year student Līga Meire has studied the use of syllable intonations in standard Latvian in her bachelor thesis. She has come to a conclusion that the level segments have been pronounced in a longer way, whereas the broken intonation more resembles a rising and then falling intonation; in cases when the break has been auditory registered, oscillograms do not show any signs of glottalisation (see Meire, 2009, 58).

The mixture of syllable intonation continues; moreover, levelling is taking place. It is also influ-enced by the fact that there is no ordinary attitude between the systems of the syllable intonations of a dialect and the standard language; also the native speakers of other languages do not know how to ap-ply the intonations.

We also have to bear in mind that the rules for the usage of syllable intonations are not observed when singing either (except for ethnographical singing).

The first conclusion: Overall the use of Latvian language syllable intonation is not too significant for mutual communication; it can even not be con-sidered obligatory. It would be recommendable to differentiate syllable intonations in minimal pairs where due to an inappropriate use a misunderstand-ing or incomplete comprehension could arise. For instance, if syllable intonations are not differentiated in the following pairs of words [zãle] ‘hall’, [zàle] ‘grass; herb’; [lùoks] ‘shaft-bow’, [luõks] ‘green part of onion’, [luôks(-gs)] ‘window’ etc., it could lead to a disturbance of precise communication.

A completely new chapter in our research history was begun when one doctor of philology and associate professor declared that there are four syllable intona-tions in her speech. As a child, the linguist used to live in Suntazi, that is, on the mid-dialect territory with a close transition to the high Latvian. The father was an inhabitant of Suntazi, while the mother – a speaker of Selonian variants. The informant experienced the biggest influence from the father’s language. In both languages there are cases when a level or drawn intonation encountered in a non-stressed word be-comes falling in a stressed position. Apart from this phenomenon the informant also speaks an expectedly clear level or drawn intonation, clear falling intonation, slight broken intonation and even a rising intonation, which is obviously inherited from her mother.

In the first experiment we asked her to pro-nounce some words we had prepared waiting for

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different syllable intonations. The analysis of both oscillograms and spectrograms registered the same information that the invited experts – rising syllable intonation was not used in any of the examples.

During the second experiment we asked the doctor of philology to include words that, according to her, would certainly show the rising syllable intonation (see Figures).

Figure 1

Kur tas grābeklis palicis?

Figure 2

Grābeklim izkrituši zari

Figure 1. Kur tas grābeklis palicis?

Figure 1

Kur tas grābeklis palicis?

Figure 2

Grābeklim izkrituši zari

Figure 2. Grābeklim izkrituši zari

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Figure 3. grābeklis (level intensity and pitch)

Figure 3

grābeklis (level intensity and pitch)

Figure 4

grābeklis (level intensity and pitch)

Figure 3

grābeklis (level intensity and pitch)

Figure 4

grābeklis (level intensity and pitch) Figure 4. grābeklis (level intensity and pitch)

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Velk piecas ādas pār galvu

Figure 6

Velk piecas ādas pār galvu (falling pitch, level intensity)

Figure 5. Velk piecas ādas pār galvu

Figure 5

Velk piecas ādas pār galvu

Figure 6

Velk piecas ādas pār galvu (falling pitch, level intensity) Figure 6. Velk piecas ādas pār galvu (falling pitch, level intensity)

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Figure 7

Ādas iekaisums ir neliels

Figure 8

Ādas iekaisums ir neliels (rising pitch and intensity)

Figure 7

Ādas iekaisums ir neliels

Figure 8

Ādas iekaisums ir neliels (rising pitch and intensity)

Figure 7. Ādas iekaisums ir neliels

Figure 8. Ādas iekaisums ir neliels (rising pitch and intensity)

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Figure 9

Krīt mīksts sniegs

Figure 10

Krīt mīksts sniegs (level tone and intensity)

Figure 9

Krīt mīksts sniegs

Figure 10

Krīt mīksts sniegs (level tone and intensity)

Figure 9. Krīt mīksts sniegs

Figure 10. Krīt mīksts sniegs (level tone and intensity)

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Figure 12. Mīksts, mīksts kamolītis (rising pitch and intensity)

Figure 11

Mīksts, mīksts kamolītis

Figure 12

Mīksts, mīksts kamolītis (rising pitch and intensity)

Figure 11

Mīksts, mīksts kamolītis

Figure 12

Mīksts, mīksts kamolītis (rising pitch and intensity)

Figure 11. Mīksts, mīksts kamolītis

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When acoustic analysis was done we become convinced that according to the intensity and the pitch curves the rise in the syllables that we were interested in could not be found in the most part of examples. The rising feature was only showed by the intensity and especially by the pitch in too examples (see Figure 8 and 12).

Syllable intonations in informant’s speech are not very stable, they may vary, are spontaneous, influ-enced by stress and emotionally; the rising intonation is characterized as sporadic.

The second conclusion: It is possible to hear that individual Latvians use not only three but even more intonations; it has to be noted though that their application is sporadic.

When addressing an audience in a formal way, for instance, when lecturing or reporting, the use of hyper normal intonations can be observed in speeches of both the pupils of the senior forms as well as certified philologists and teachers. This is more characteristic to the speakers using the deeply Latgallian subdia-lects containing the opposition of falling and broken intonations in their prosodic system. Obviously, the speakers reckon that the broken syllable intonation is too frequent in their speech therefore they try to avoid it by using too level intonation. This kind of levelling could be heard not only when the informants were speaking standard Latvian but even when we were listening to their conversations in dialects. Many times the use of intonations was not stable.

The third conclusion: Use of hyper normal level intonation can be heard even in those cases when the speaker realises that there is no level intonation in his or her own dialect but he or she still tries to prolong the pronunciation.

We intend to examine intonations as used by young speakers, too in order to get some ideas about the future of the system of syllable intonations.

References

Ābele A., 1923, Par stieptās intonācijas pāreju krītošā. – Filologu biedrības raksti 3, Rīga, 40–42.

Ekblom R., 1933, Die Lettischen Akzentarten: Eine Ex-perimental-phonetische Untersuchung. Uppsala: Almqvist&Wiksells.

Karins A. K., 1996, The Prosodic Structure of Latvian. A Dissertation. Philadelphia: University of Pennsyl-vania. IRCS Report 96–15.

Laua A., 1969, Latviešu literārās valodas fonētika. Rīga: Zvaigzne.

Markus D., 2000, Some Prosodic Features in Latvian as a Second Language Acquisition. – Valoda 2000. Daugavpils: DPU izdevniecība Saule, 11–15.

Markus D., Jezupova A., 2005, Genuine Latvian Pronun-ciation – a Feature of Identity. – The Baltic way in Europe. Revolution and Evolution. 6th Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe. Valmiera, Latvia, June 17–19, 57.

Meire L., 2009, Latviešu literārās valodas intonāciju akus-tisks raksturojums. Bakalaura darbs. Rīga: LU.