The Effect Of Focus On Four Tones In Mandarin

This study investigates the different effects of focus on four tones in Mandarin through the pitch measurement and statistical analysis. Target tones were embedded in three narrow focus positions(first, second, and the last word), two non-focus positions(intonational head and intonational tail) and broad focus in actual utterances. The high point and low point pitch values of the tones were observed and compared. In total, there are6conclusions below:(1) Although Tone l,Tone2and Tone4have the same tonal value [5], the high point of Tone2is always much lower than that of Tone1and Tone4under focus condition.(2) Although Tone3and Tone4have the same tonal value [1], the low point of Tone3is always much lower than that of Tone4under focus condition. The low point of Tone2([3]) is much lower than that of Tone4unless it precedes the pause.(3) The Focused syllable is not exactly the same in two positions:whether it follows a neutral tone or a non-neutral tone. On the intonational head, the high points of Tone2and Tone4are higher when it follows a non-neutral tone, the low point of Tone3is lower when it follows neutral tone.(4) The Focused syllable has effect on the post-focus syllable. The following syllables of the focused Tone1, Tone2and Tone4(the tones which have [+high] features) are all slightly falling. The onset values of the post-focus syllables are:post-Tone4<post-Tone1≦post-Tone2and the offsets value of the post-focus syllables are: post-Tone4≦post-Tone1≦post-Tone2. The following syllable of the focused Tone3(the tone which has [-high] feature)is higher than the offset values of other three post-focus syllables or as high as the offset value of post-Tone2.(5) Tones on the non-focus position and tones on the focus position have some differences.On the intonational head, the low point of Tone2is higher than that of Tone4. On the intonational head and intonational tail, some samples of Tone2are slightly falling.(6) The focus type(narrow focus/broad focus) has effect on the high points of four tones, but not on the low points of four tones.