Comment on Why do all languages share the same intonation for questions?

• lvxferre@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Do you really think thats true?

  “Rhetorical” questions - like this one - are specially interesting because, while they follow the syntax of a genuine question, they’re pragmatically assertions. You’re implying “this is not true”, even if you’re phrasing it as a question.

  And that phrasal pitch contour that you see in yes/no questions is dictated by the pragmatical purpose of the utterance, so if the “question” is not actually a question, it doesn’t get it.

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  • tux7350@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Can you tell me more?

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    • lvxferre@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      more [with a higher pitch]

      Yes, I can. /me leaves the room

      Serious now, this sentence is a great example because, even if phrased as a yes/no question, you’ll typically see it being used as a request - “please tell me more”. And as such you’ll often hear it without the higher pitch associated with yes/no questions.

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• spankmonkey@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I read this as you emphasizing true, not pitching up.

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  • acosmichippo@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    are you sure about ^that?

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    • smiletolerantly@awful.systems ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Hmmm…^this?^

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