Intonation in Palenquero

Dados Bibliográficos

ID14860481
AutoresJosé Ignacio Hualde (0000-0003-4969-2995, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, autor correspondente), Armin Schwegler (University of California, Irvine)
Ano2008
Volume23
Fascículo1
Páginas1-31
Data de publicação2008-04-25
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Pidgin and Creole Languages (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0920-9034 • E-ISSN: 1569-9870
EditoraJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/jpcl.23.1.02hua
OpenAlexW2064015513
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas23
Referências citadas14

The least understood aspect of Palenquero phonology is its intonational system. This is a serious gap, as it is precisely in the realm of prosody that the most striking phonological differences between Palenquero and (Caribbean) Spanish are apparent. Although several authors have speculated that African influence may be at the source of Palenquero’s peculiar intonation, to date published research offers no detailed information about the intonation of the creole. The goal of this study is to remedy this situation. Here we identify several specific intonational features where conservative (or older-generation) Palenquero differs from (Caribbean) Spanish. One of these features is a strong tendency to use invariant word-level contours, with a H tone on the stressed syllable and L tones on unstressed syllables, in all sentential contexts, including prenuclear positions. A second feature that we have identified is the use of a sustained phrase-final high or mid level contour in declaratives accented on the final syllable, and a long fall in declaratives accented on the penult. The final section addresses the issue of the possible origin of these intonational features. We point out similarities with Equatorial Guinea Spanish and conclude that, at some point in the history of Palenquero, the Spanish prosodic system was interpreted as involving lexical tone, in conformity with claims in the literature regarding several Atlantic creoles

Intonation (linguistics · Linguistics · Phonology · Phrase · Pitch accent · Prosody · Syllable · Tone (literature · History · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Philosophy · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Psychology · Spanish Linguistics and Language Studies