Lietuvių kalbos intonacija: teorija ir praktika
Intonation in the Lithuanian Language: Theory and Practice

Summary/Abstract: The article is an overview of the most important theoretical and practical issues related to intonation in the Lithuanian language. Intonation typical of the Lithuanian language is a relatively scarcely analysed field. The system still has no scientific description. Traditionally, intonation has been analysed both by phoneticians (i.e. its acoustic features) and by syntax specialists (i.e. its functions). As we know, existence of a system in the field of intonation can be understood in two ways: in the narrower, phonetic aspect, it only means distinguishing the number and acoustic differential features of intonation types (intonemes, melodemes, intonation limits, etc.); and in the wider aspect, when intonation as a constituent part of sonic elements of a language is investigated in a complex way, in interaction with other linguistic elements, lexis and grammar with regard to the changing role of every of them, by expressing the meaning of a sentence and its emotional as well as stylistic nuances. An analysis of intonation oppositions indicates that an intonation system is constituted not only of intonation types, but also a number of other significant elements. At present, we can state that intonation in the Lithuanian language exists as anindependent system in the whole of linguistic sonic elements. It is constituted from the following parts: a) a subsystem of intonation types (7 types); b) changing of the intonation centre position; c) syntagmatic segmentation; d) pausing. In the practical phonetic aspect, the most important element of an intonation system is the intonation type subsystem. In the article it is presented graphically, including quite exact indication of the most important differential features of every of them. A subsystem of intonation types is first of all inevitable for teaching correct intonation of Lithuanian as the native tongue and especially as a foreign language. In the functional aspect, other elements of the intonation system also have an important position, as they disclose the whole variety of expression of sentential contents.

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