Low tone. The distance in terms of fundamental frequency
[or Fo, related to the number of openings and closings of the vocal folds
per unit time] betwen the Lower High and the Mid is typically much less
than that between the High and the Lower High or the Mid and the Low. The
tones fall slightly at their termination the fall being steeper in the
case of the two higher tones - in monosyllables or word-final syllables
i.e., when they precede silence, which, however; is not significant. A few
speakers have an inventory of five tones with an additional one of Higher
Mid tone between the Lower High and Mid tones.
|
The following minimal sets exemplify the four/five tones.
The High, Lower High, Mid and Low tones are symbolized respectively by
acute, breve, macron and grave marks on the vowel.
|
| 1. |
ōdó |
|
‘art, |
techniques of politeness’ |
|
|
| 2 |
ōdǒ |
‘1. |
show ; |
splurge |
2. |
Attention-caller |
| |
|
3. |
‘isn’t that so?’ |
[tag question] |
4. |
trick’. |
| 3
|
ōdō |
|
‘paddy field’ |
|
|
|
| |
ōdō |
|
‘notch; |
step; |
|
layer’ |
| 4 |
ōdņ |
|
‘field ridge’ |
|
|
|
|
Typically or for most speakers, the word meaning ‘paddy
field’ is spoken on the same tone as the word meaning ‘notch ; layer’, but
for a few, the second syllable of odo meaning ‘notch’ is spoken on a tone
lower than that of odo meaning ‘paddy field’. The first syllable of each
member of the set viz., o illustrates a Mid tone, but it varies in
pitch in response to the tonal environment of the last syllable.
|
| Phonic stretch |
First |
syllable |
Second |
Syllable |
| |
|
|
|
|
| odo |
Fo |
tone |
Fo |
tone |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
175 Hz |
Mid |
230 Hz |
High |
| 2 |
150 Hz |
Mid |
156 Hz |
Lower High |
| 3 |
155 Hz |
Mid |
155 [145] Hz |
Mid |
| 4 |
155 Hz |
Mid |
115 Hz |
Low |
|
II
|
Phonic Stretch [ hri ] |
| Phonic stretch |
Meaning |
Fo |
Tone |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
[ hri ] |
|
‘to jag body part’ |
190 Hz |
High |
| |
|
‘1. |
to pluck fruits |
|
|
| 2. |
[ hri ] |
2. |
to draw lines, |
150 Hz |
Lower High |
| |
|
|
pictures etc.,’ |
|
|
| 3 |
[ hri ] |
|
‘to be patient’ |
144 Hz |
Mid |
| 4 |
[ hri ] |
|
‘to cut trees’ |
122 Hz |
Low |
|
III
|
Phonic stretch [ ost*
] |
| |
First syllable |
Second syllable |
|
Meaning |
|
|
|
| |
|
Fo |
Tone |
Fo |
Tone |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
‘swamp; mire’ |
150 Hz |
Mid |
176 Hz |
High |
| 2 |
‘wood’ |
150 Hz |
Mid |
156 Hz |
Lower High |
| 3 |
‘breath’ |
135 Hz |
Mid |
135 Hz |
Mid |
| 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. |
deer |
130 Hz |
Mid |
115 Hz |
Low |
| 2. |
kind of millet’ |
|
|
|
|
|
Notice that there need to be no absolute or constant FO
value attributable to any individual tone. The fundamental frequency is
relative and varies in response to the vowel and the informant.
|
2.1.2
|
The system is fairly no restricted. Tone has
unconstrained occurrence with all vowels and word positions. While there
are no constraints of ton tactics in disyllables-all the sixteen
combinations are attested in abundance - the sixty four tonotactic
configurations possible in trisyllables in a four tone system are not
attested basically because the occurrence of trisyllables is much less
numerous.
|
