Downstep is a phenomenon in tone languages in which if two syllables have the same tone (for example, both with a high tone or both with a low tone), the second syllable is lower in pitch than the first.
Two main kinds of downstep can be distinguished. The first, more usually called automatic downstep, downdrift[1] or catathesis,[2] occurs when high and low tones come in the sequence H L (L) H; the second high tone tends to be lower than the first because of the intervening low toned syllable. That phenomenon is common in African languages, such as Chichewa.[3] It has also been argued that the same phenomenon is heard in English sentences, if these sentences are pronounced with a falling intonation, for example I really believe Ebenezer was a dealer in magnesium, or I bought blueberries, bayberries, raspberries, mulberries, and brambleberries.[4][5]
Downstep proper, or non-automatic downstep,[6] is another phenomenon found in many African languages such as Igbo. [7] for an overview of downstep in African languages.) If two high tones are in succeeding syllables (thus in the sequence H H), and the second is lower than the first, there is said to be a downstep.[8]
The symbol for the second kind of downstep in the International Phonetic Alphabet is a superscript down arrow, ⟨ꜜ⟩ (↓). It is common to see instead a superscript exclamation mark ⟨ꜝ⟩ (!) because of typographic constraints, though technically that would mean an incompletely or lightly articulated alveolar click release.
It has been shown that in most, if not all, cases of downstep proper, the lowering of the second high tone occurs when an intervening low-toned syllable has dropped out. What was H (L) H has become HꜜH.[9] The missing low-toned syllable creates what is known as a 'floating tone'. An example occurs in Bambara, a language spoken in Mali. In Bambara, the definite article is a floating low tone. With a noun in isolation, it docks to the preceding vowel and turns a high tone into a falling tone:
/bá/
river
/bâ/
the river
However, when it occurs between two high tones, it downsteps the following tone:
Beckman, Mary E. & Pierrehumbert, Janet B. (1986). "Intonational Structure in English and Japanese" (PDF). Phonology Yearbook. 3: 255–309.
Connell, Bruce (2001), (PDF), Bielefeld University, Germany: Typology of African Prosodic Systems Workshop, archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2007
Crystal, David (2003). A dictionary of linguistics & phonetics. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 130.
Downing, Laura J. & Rialland, Annie (2017). Intonation in African tone languages. Berlin: De Gruyter. ISBN3110503522. OCLC 963605080.
Myers, Scott (1996). "Boundary tones and the phonetic implementation of tone in Chichewa" (PDF). Studies in African Linguistics. 25 (1): 29–60.
Pierrehumbert, Janet B. (1980). The Phonology and Phonetics of English Intonation(PDF) (PhD). Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Welmers, William E. (1974). African Language Structures. University of California Press.
Yip, Moira (2002). Tone. Cambridge University Press.
January 06, 2023
downstep, phenomenon, tone, languages, which, syllables, have, same, tone, example, both, with, high, tone, both, with, tone, second, syllable, lower, pitch, than, first, number517encodingentity, decimal, 42780, unicode, a71cthis, article, contains, phonetic, . Downstep is a phenomenon in tone languages in which if two syllables have the same tone for example both with a high tone or both with a low tone the second syllable is lower in pitch than the first Downstepꜜ ꜝ IPA Number517EncodingEntity decimal amp 42780 Unicode hex U A71CThis article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet IPA For an introductory guide on IPA symbols see Help IPA For the distinction between and see IPA Brackets and transcription delimiters Two main kinds of downstep can be distinguished The first more usually called automatic downstep downdrift 1 or catathesis 2 occurs when high and low tones come in the sequence H L L H the second high tone tends to be lower than the first because of the intervening low toned syllable That phenomenon is common in African languages such as Chichewa 3 It has also been argued that the same phenomenon is heard in English sentences if these sentences are pronounced with a falling intonation for example I really believe Ebenezer was a dealer in magnesium or I bought blueberries bayberries raspberries mulberries and brambleberries 4 5 Downstep proper or non automatic downstep 6 is another phenomenon found in many African languages such as Igbo 7 for an overview of downstep in African languages If two high tones are in succeeding syllables thus in the sequence H H and the second is lower than the first there is said to be a downstep 8 The symbol for the second kind of downstep in the International Phonetic Alphabet is a superscript down arrow ꜜ It is common to see instead a superscript exclamation mark ꜝ because of typographic constraints though technically that would mean an incompletely or lightly articulated alveolar click release It has been shown that in most if not all cases of downstep proper the lowering of the second high tone occurs when an intervening low toned syllable has dropped out What was H L H has become Hꜜ H 9 The missing low toned syllable creates what is known as a floating tone An example occurs in Bambara a language spoken in Mali In Bambara the definite article is a floating low tone With a noun in isolation it docks to the preceding vowel and turns a high tone into a falling tone ba river ba the riverHowever when it occurs between two high tones it downsteps the following tone ba tɛ it s not a river ba ꜜ tɛ it s not the riverReferences Edit Yip 2002 p 148 Beckman amp Pierrehumbert 1986 p 272 Myers 1996 Pierrehumbert 1980 pp 139ff 329ff Beckman amp Pierrehumbert 1986 p 273 Connell 2001 Downing amp Rialland 2017 Welmers 1974 pp 82ff Welmers 1974 p 87 Bibliography EditBeckman Mary E amp Pierrehumbert Janet B 1986 Intonational Structure in English and Japanese PDF Phonology Yearbook 3 255 309 Connell Bruce 2001 Downdrift Downstep and Declination PDF Bielefeld University Germany Typology of African Prosodic Systems Workshop archived from the original PDF on 13 June 2007 Crystal David 2003 A dictionary of linguistics amp phonetics Wiley Blackwell p 130 Downing Laura J amp Rialland Annie 2017 Intonation in African tone languages Berlin De Gruyter ISBN 3110503522 OCLC 963605080 Myers Scott 1996 Boundary tones and the phonetic implementation of tone in Chichewa PDF Studies in African Linguistics 25 1 29 60 Pierrehumbert Janet B 1980 The Phonology and Phonetics of English Intonation PDF PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology Welmers William E 1974 African Language Structures University of California Press Yip Moira 2002 Tone Cambridge University Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Downstep amp oldid 1109549833, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
