Nuclear stress rule in French

Abstract

Fundamental frequency (F0) contours for isolated French sentences and two texts read by five native speakers have been analyzed, and these contours have been schematized subjectively by ideal patterns, using basic elements such as those described by Maeda [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 56, S33(A) (1974)]. It has been found that long words (words containing more than two syllables) indicate one of four typical patterns, P1, P2, P3, or P4. These patterns may be described by using six attributes: initial rise (Ri) at the onset of the words, failing (F), sustaining (S) during the middle portion of the words, continuation rise (Rc), peak followed by a strong fall (P), and lowering (L); the last three attributes occur at the end of the word. Then, P1 = Ri + F + Rc, P2 = Ri + S + P, P3 = Ri + S + L, and P4 = Ri + F. A word in a sense group (a group composed of closely related words in a sentence) receives one of the four patterns, depending first on the tendency of the particular speaker (each speaker using one pattern mo...