Meanings and

functions of prosody

by Maria Bilovod and

Maria Patsenkova
When we talk about the "functions of prosody,"
we are referring to the different roles or
purposes that prosody serves in spoken
communication.
 These functions can include things like
emphasizing certain words or phrases,
conveying emotional states or moods, signaling
when it's someone else's turn to speak, and
even influencing the interpretation of a
message.

Here's a more detailed explanation

of the meanings and functions of
prosody:

Emphasis and Intensity

 Prosody can be used to emphasize certain words or phrases in a

sentence, indicating that they are more important than the
other words. For example, a speaker might raise the pitch of
their voice or speak louder when emphasizing a particular word.
Prosody can also convey intensity and urgency, such as when a
speaker raises their voice to indicate anger or excitement.

Mood and Emotion

 Prosody can convey a speaker's mood or emotional state. For

example, a speaker with a monotonous voice might be perceived
as bored or uninterested, while a speaker with a sing-song
voice might be perceived as playful or happy. Similarly, a
speaker who speaks loudly and with a harsh tone might be
perceived as angry or aggressive.

Meaning and
Interpretation

 Prosody can also influence the interpretation of a message by

signaling sarcasm, irony, or ambiguity. For example, a speaker
might use a rising intonation at the end of a statement to indicate
that it's a question, or use a lower pitch to indicate that they are
making a serious statement. In some cases, prosody can even alter
the meaning of a sentence. For instance, the sentence "I never said
he stole my money" can have seven different meanings, depending
on which word is emphasized.

Turn-taking

Prosody can also signal when it's someone else's turn to speak. For
example, a speaker might lower their pitch at the end of a sentence
to indicate that it's a question, prompting the listener to respond.
Conversely, a speaker might use a rising pitch at the end of a
sentence to signal that they are not finished speaking and that they
are expecting the listener to continue the conversation.

Group identificationn

 Prosody can be used to identify a speaker's cultural or regional

background. For example, speakers of different languages have
different intonation patterns, and speakers of the same language
from different regions may also have different accents and
intonation patterns. As a result, prosody can be an important cue
for identifying the speaker's cultural or regional background.