Register and prosodic variation, a cross language comparison

It is widely recognized that prosody serves as a cue for information content and for mutual agreement (or lack thereof) among dialogue participants. It is also true that different social situations require dissimilar prosodic strategies. The present paper will address the problem of prosodic prominence and contours on negatives in various interactive and noninteractive registers of Continental French, and will compare the results with those from American English negatives in similar situational contexts. Negatives were studied because they provide vital information—which should be emphasized prosodically to maximize comprehension— yet their presentation can be critical to amicable interaction, and under certain social conditions should be de-emphasized to minimize possible sources of discord. Consequently, analysis of prosody on negatives permits us to juxtapose theories of how language is produced and how it is interpreted. The study will provide evidence of three different loci of prosodic variation: language, culture, and social situation, concluding that each of the three variables influences prosodic realization. # 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.