Key and Termination – Increments 195
The increment fi nal low key/termination attached to the exclamation is
neither self-evident nor is it equative. Instead it marks the closure of a pitch
sequence and signals that the reader will continue the discourse by intro-
ducing a new topic. Of the 19 low key/terminations which do not realize a
low-key value it is noteworthy that with one exception they are attached to
tone units solely containing the following elements thank you, you know, I’m
afraid and at all. This illustrates that potential intonational meaning can be
dissolved by lexical meaning. The other example illustrates that contextual
expectations have the potential to over-ride the low-key value:
(48) look in a small \/WAY // we LIVED through... // we \LIVED
ex p d e n (N) (VPHR)... N VPHR
through that //in NORthern \IREland // over many many
N P N P d+ d
\↓DEcades now //
N A # [T2-Gc-25]In the context in which it was read there are no prior expectations of
time created to which the content of the fi nal tone unit can enter into
an equative relation with. Nor does the low key/termination signal self
evidence. However, whenever the low key/termination was attached to
nominal or verbal elements it projected a low-key value. If the low key/
termination was attached to an element contained in a tone unit which was
increment fi nal both the key and termination values were realized e.g. (49)
and (50). Example (51) illustrates that where the low key/termination
occurs at any other position within the increment the low-termination value
appears to be redundant.
(49) that we should con↑TINue to disCUSS the \/ISsues // that we
w N V V' V' d N+ w N
were GOing to dis/CUSS // and REACH the con\CLUsions //
V V' V' c Ø V' d N+which we were going to \↓REACH // [T1-Emi-11]
W+ N V V' V' Ø #
(50) and to USE any MEthods at \↓ALL // but parTICularly
c Ø V' d N APHR c a
\TERrorism // to \↓DO that // [T2-Bs-20]
N V' N #