Temporal variation in singing as interplay between speech and music in Estonian songs Cover Image

Temporaalne variatiivsus eestikeelsete laulude esitamisel kui kompromiss kõne ja muusika vahel
Temporal variation in singing as interplay between speech and music in Estonian songs

Author(s): Pärtel Lippus, Jaan Ross
Subject(s): Customs / Folklore, Music, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure
Published by: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum
Keywords: Estonian; linguistic duration; musical rhythm; quantity language; syllable; tone language;

Summary/Abstract: Acoustic syllable durations were measured in Estonian utterances performed in parallel as recited and sung. A systematic effect of phonological syllable length was found irrespective of the group of participants (contemporary or historic). This effect of syllable length was modified by the mode of performance: in music, it was present considerably less than in speech. In music, the effect of syllable length in turn was modified by song: it was present in two of the three songs, but absent in one song. The above results suggest that the correspondence between linguistic duration and musical rhythm in a quantity language such as Estonian is loosely defined. The nature of the correspondence between linguistic quantity and musical rhythm may be considered, to a certain extent, analogous to the tone-tune relationship in tonal languages.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 68
  • Page Range: 123-144
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Estonian