Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


DavisJunkoK2004 mt.pdf (3.55 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

A prosodic study of the "inverted sentence" in Beijing Mandarin

Davis, Junko K.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406713386

Abstract Details

2004, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, East Asian Languages and Literatures.
This thesis investigates the prosody and interpretation of the so-called “inverted sentence” in the Beijing Mandarin Chinese. The “inverted sentence” is a phenomenon in which elements of a sentence are post-posed to the sentence final position, as in “suan bu suan, putao?" (Are grapes sour?), where the subject, putao (grape), is post-posed. The non-inverted order would be “putao suan bu suan?" One study of the inverted sentence has used an analogy of terrain to describe the prosody of the structure, likening it to a high plateau followed by low land. Studies that have included prosodic descriptions of the structure generally seem to be in accordance with this analogy. Meanwhile, the function of the inverted sentence is often discussed in relation to focus. The “high plateau and low land” analogy seems to correspond to “expanded pitch range” and “reduced pitch range.” Given the prosodic marking of focus in Mandarin - with pitch range expansion followed by pitch range reduction - this particular prosodic pattern has already been marking the main phrase of the inverted sentence as being in focus regardless of whether the post-posed part is marked as out of focus. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the prosody of inverted sentences in which the information status of the post-posed constituent (“new” and “old” with respect to discourse information) was manipulated. The data from this study suggest that the general prosodic pattern that is associated with the inverted sentence is as described in the previous literature; namely, that the pitch range of the post-posed constituent is reduced. However, this was not the only pattern that surfaced in my data. There were some variations in the manipulation of the pitch range of the post-posed constituent. Moreover, the different degrees of pitch range reduction may be interpreted to suggest that pitch range manipulation is used to differentiate information status in Mandarin. In addition, some earlier studies discuss whether a pause before the post-posed constituent is inherent in the inverted sentence. My data indicate that a pause is not inherent, although a prosodic break, aside from a pause, may be at work.
Marjorie K. M. Chan (Advisor)
Mary E. Beckman (Committee Member)
144 p.
Asian Studies

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Davis, J. K. (2004). A prosodic study of the "inverted sentence" in Beijing Mandarin [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406713386

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Davis, Junko. A prosodic study of the "inverted sentence" in Beijing Mandarin. 2004. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406713386.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Davis, Junko. "A prosodic study of the "inverted sentence" in Beijing Mandarin." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406713386

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1406713386
489
© 2004, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.