Fundamental frequency patterns in simple sentances of Canadian French

Abstract

This study investigated patterns of voice fundamental frequency (F0) in the production of simple sentences of Canadian French, to determine how these patterns are influenced by a number of linguistic and nonlinguistic factors. Twenty phonetically balanced sentences were produced by 12 adult speakers (six males and six females) and were analyzed with respect to the peak values of F0 for preselected key words (i.e., the F0 topline). The results show that isolated sentences of Canadian French are characterized by a definite declination pattern, which is similar (but not identical) to that reported for comparable sentences of American English [W. E. Cooper and J. Sorensen, Fundamental Frequency in Sentence Production (1981)]. Contrary to previous findings, however, the topline pattern for simple French sentences is not significantly influenced by the phonetic composition of the measured syllables; nor does sentence length have a significant effect on the initial F0 peak of a French sentence. Moreover, speakers having different F0 ranges (i.e., males versus females) do not differ in the shape they give to the F0 topline of a French sentence. The implications of these findings for a model of fundamental frequency in speech production will be discussed. [Work supported by BRS Grant RR‐05596 to Haskins Laboratories and by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.]