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Paper

Intonation as a quantifier-free logical interpretation of metrical and prosodic structure

Authors
  • Hyunjung Joo (Rutgers University)
  • Adam Jardine

Abstract

This study views intonation as a quantifier-free (QF) logical interpretation of a metrical and prosodic structure. Under logical transductions, tones in intonational melodies can be interpreted as literal copies of prosodic elements, with their association to TBUs being a local process. The head-prominence intonational pattern in American English can be defined by copying both accented syllables (heads) and phrasal boundaries, whereas the edge-prominence pattern in Seoul Korean was defined by copying only phrasal boundaries (edges). For Tokyo Japanese, lexical pitch accents are defined by copying accented moras, and post-lexical tones by copying phrasal boundaries. This QF interpretation of intonation structure enabled restrictive predictions about computational complexity and typology of intonation. 

Keywords: intonation, quantifier-free, logical interpretation, intonational typology

How to Cite:

Joo, H. & Jardine, A., (2025) “Intonation as a quantifier-free logical interpretation of metrical and prosodic structure”, Society for Computation in Linguistics 8(1): 8. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/scil.3124

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Published on
2025-06-13

Peer Reviewed