Publisher's Synopsis
From the INTRODUCTION.
1. The branch of phonetic science known as Intonation, i. e. the variations in the pitch of the speaking voice, has not hitherto met with adequate treatment in books on pronunciation owing to the want of a satisfactory method of indicating these variations. Intonation, when marked at all, has generally been indicated by signs such as r, ', ', v, etc. placed at the beginnings and ends of words or sentences. Such marks may give a rough idea of the kind of intonation required, as for instance that the pitch is to rise or fall, but they fail to show with any sort of accuracy the precise points of the sentences at which the changes of pitch begin and end, and they do not profess to indicate the absolute pitch, or the subtle variations of pitch which are perpetually occurring in speech.
2. Accurate records of intonation have, it is true, been produced by means of tracings of voice vibrations, obtained by the use of a kymograph or otherwise. The vibrations may in this way be measured, or the number occurring in short units of time counted, and the results plotted on squared paper, the variations of pitch being thus expressed by curved lines. Such curves are, however, inconveniently large and elaborate, and the phonetic symbols to which the various parts of the curves correspond have to be placed far apart and at irregular intervals, thus rendering the text difficult to read. Besides this the work of preparing curves by this method is so laborious, that no one has ever yet analysed texts of sufficient length to be of any practical value to language students.
3. Evidently the only satisfactory method of representing intonation, whether for scientific or for practical purposes, is by means of curves, and in the present work an attempt has been made to produce by the method hereafter described intonation-curves which may combine as far as possible scientific accuracy with practical utility....
