Speaker Age-related Effects on the Intonation of Simple Declarative Paratones in Ekegusii

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of intonation-related features in Ekegusii simple declarative paratones using the PRAAT speech analysis software. Ekegusii is a tonal Eastern Bantu language spoken in Kisii and Nyamira counties, Kenya. The analysis was meant to explain the influence of age in the realization of the paratones under analysis. Four simple declarative paratones selected by one of the authors who is a native Ekegusii speaker were used in the analysis. These paratones were read out by twenty-four other native speakers. Their speech was recorded and analysed following the basic tenets of the ToBI annotation system. Voice fundamental frequencies and auto-pitch graphs were automatically extracted from the recorded utterances by using the PRAAT software. Mean fundamental-frequency ranges and intonemes for the different age groups were compared. Two major findings were made: (a) simple declarative paratones in Ekegusii were characterised by declination, initial intonemes like downstep and final lowering; (b) the participants’ F0 values decreased from child age to youth age and middle age but increased once again in the advanced age for both males and females.