The Effects of Duration and Sonority on Countour Tone Distribution: A Typological Survey and Formal Analysis

By Jie Zhang

Book Overview

First Published in 2002. Part of the Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics series, this is an in-depth investigation of the effects of duration and sonority on contour tone distribution. The term "tone language" usually refers to languages in which the pitch of a syllable serves lexical or grammatical functions. In some tone languages, the contrastive functions of pitch are sometimes played by pitch changes within a syllable. Pitch changes of this kind are called contour tones. The distribution of contour tones in a language, are when under what phonological contexts contour tones are more readily realized.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415941563
• ISBN13: 9780415941563
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.7" x 8.7"