Punctuation is prosody Making historic transcriptions of Karuk - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Punctuation is prosody

Making historic transcriptions of Karuk accessible for revitalization and research Clare Sandy and Line Mikkelsen University of California, Berkeley ICLDC 4, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 28 February 2015

Intro Results Conclusions References

Outline

Intro The Karuk language Obtaining prosody from archival materials? Specific research questions Results Intonation in Karuk William Bright transcriptions

• J. P. Harrington transcriptions

Correlation Conclusions Summary of findings Further questions Applications of findings

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Intro Results Conclusions References Background General Question Specific Questions

The Karuk language

◮ Classification: isolate within alleged Hokan group ◮ Geography: traditionally spoken along the middle Klamath

River (Northern California, US)

◮ Neighbors

◮ Yurok (Algic) ◮ Shasta and Chimariko (also Hokan) ◮ Tolowa and Hupa (Athabaskan)

◮ Vitality

◮ 1850: estimated 1800-2700 speakers ◮ 1950: estimated 100 speakers (Bright 1957) ◮ 2015: <10 first-language speakers, 20-50 learners and L2 users ICLDC 4 • 28 February 2015 • Sandy and Mikkelsen Punctuation is prosody: historic transcriptions of Karuk • 3/25

Intro Results Conclusions References Background General Question Specific Questions

Past documentation

Early 20th century: Kroeber, Harrington, de Angulo & Freeland

◮ J. P. Harrington materials include:

◮ Published texts (Harrington, 1930, 1932a,b) ◮ Several reels of microfilm of field notes archived at the

Smithsonian

◮ One surviving recording of texts spoken by Phoebe Maddux

archived at Phoebe Hearst Museum and Library of Congress

More recent: William Bright (1940s–early 2000s), Monica Macaulay, current authors and others.

◮ William Bright materials include:

◮ Published grammar The Karok Language in 1957 ◮ Recordings and fieldnotes archived at Survey of California and

Other Indian Languages and American Philosophical Society

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Intro Results Conclusions References Background General Question Specific Questions

General problem

Utterance-level prosody is important ...

◮ For language teaching and learning ◮ For understanding syntax-phonology interactions, in

particular, word order variation

◮ For understanding variation in word-level accentuation

... but is difficult to recover from archival materials without audio

◮ Prosody is often not explicitly transcribed ◮ Different field workers use various informal methods to

represent prosody Can we interpret archival transcriptions to obtain linguistically useful data on the prosody of utterances?

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Intro Results Conclusions References Background General Question Specific Questions

How do we transcribe prosody? Punctuation, of course!

For example: There’s Elizabeth. Where’s Elizabeth? Elizabeth is where?! It’s Elizabeth! As with orthography, different languages use the same symbols to represent different sounds. Our knowledge of our language’s prosody supplies acceptable phonetic realizations of intonation associated with this shorthand.

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Intro Results Conclusions References Background General Question Specific Questions

Specific Questions

◮ Can we extract useful utterance-level prosodic data from

archival Karuk materials?

◮ To what degree can the Bright and Harrington transcriptions

be correlated?

Methodology

◮ Historic recordings and transcriptions

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Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Karuk intonation basics

axmáy vúra yítha ukyívivrath axmáy vúra yítha ukyívivrath. Suddenly one fell in. 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 1.978 Nettie Reuben, 1949, ’Coyote’s Homecoming’ (WB KL-02a:09)

◮ At most one accent per word ◮ Intonational phrase (IP) characterized by:

◮ gradual rise to peak, followed by fall ◮ pitch peak coincides with (typically last) word accent

◮ End of utterance characterized by:

◮ devoicing, glottalization, or accentual effects ICLDC 4 • 28 February 2015 • Sandy and Mikkelsen Punctuation is prosody: historic transcriptions of Karuk • 8/25

Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Bright system

Bright explicitly uses punctuation to indicate intonational contours,

“...associated not with any grammatical categories, but rather with the emotions of the speaker. (Bright 1957:15)”

Punctuation represents the contour of the preceding sequence:

. period “associated with lack of marked emotion (Bright 1957:16)”

rising-falling pitch contour, utterance-final boundary, low boundary tone, pause

, comma “associated with lack of marked emotion (Bright 1957:16)”

rising-falling pitch contour, accentual phrase boundary, weak low boundary tone, optional pause

! exclamation point “associated with excitement (Bright 1957:16)”

higher register for utterance

; semi-colon “associated with sadness (Bright 1957:16)”

falling intonation

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Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Translation into ToBI

payêem vúra hôoyva u’aramsîiprivtih pu’aapunmuti, uxúti kumâam vúra upíip poo’aramsîiprivtih. He doesn’t even know where it comes from, he was thinking it just came from up in the hill there. 50 350 100 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 4.889 Chester Pepper, 1949, ’Coyote and the Sun’ (WB LA78.1-016b:12)

Fairly straightforward translation into (a simplified) ToBI (Beckman et al., 2005), for example:

◮ Word accents: H*+L ◮ Bright’s “comma pause”: wL% for weak L boundary tone,

normally corresponds to a Break index 2

◮ Bright’s “period pause”: L% for L boundary tone,

normally corresponds to a Break index 3 with finality (Venditti, 1997)

• r a Break index 4 (Beckman and Ayers, 1997)

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Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

• J. P. Harrington audio

chavúra pâanpay chím axmay yíth ukúha chavúra pâanpay chím axmay yíth ukúha. Then after a while all at once one of them got sick. 3 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 2.995 Phoebe Maddux, 1929, ’Bluejay Myth’ (JPH PHM-24-343a:03)

◮ One recording (made by Boas, transcribed by Harrington) ◮ Intonation seems comparable to that described by Bright

◮ Typical pitch rise to a peak, followed by an abrupt fall, and

then drops more or less gradually to low

◮ Variable based on many factors, e.g., word accentuation,

context of utterance, speaker intention

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Source: J. P. Harrington microfilm reel 14

Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

• J. P. Harrington transcription – preview

◮ How does his punctuation reflect prosody in that recording?

◮ Sentences (marked with period) reflect utterances ◮ In some cases, the Karuk is split into more sentences than the

English free translation

◮ Quotes introduced with colons (but some quoted speech does

not follow verb of speaking)

◮ Occasional commas and semi-colons used inconsistently; a few

mismatches between notes and typescript

◮ How much prosody is recoverable from his transcription?

◮ Utterances are recoverable (using transcription, not free

translation)

◮ Detailed variation among intonational contours not recoverable ICLDC 4 • 28 February 2015 • Sandy and Mikkelsen Punctuation is prosody: historic transcriptions of Karuk • 13/25

Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Transcription of utterances

ámtaap tu’íivtap ámtaap tu’íivtap. There were ashes all over her. 9 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 2.501 Phoebe Maddux, 1929, ’Bluejay Myth’ (JPH PHM-24-343a:9)

• 1. Period (follows “basic” sentence)

◮ Transcribed consistently in Karuk lines1 ◮ Intonation: typically rise to peak, late low fall,

devoicing/glottalization at right edge

◮ Pause: significant, obvious (419 – 2,220 ms, median 1,434 ms) 1In notes, period occasionally missing in Karuk transcription but present in

English gloss and typed version; line break present.

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Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Transcription of utterances

kúkuum vúra úpkuupha kári xás kúkuum kunpíkaar kúkuum vúra úpkuupha. kári xás kúkuum kunpíkaar. Then she did the same way again. They went to get her [Bluejay] again. 32 33 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 6.977 Phoebe Maddux, 1929, ’Bluejay Myth’ (JPH PHM-24-343a:32-33)

Karuk transcription: k´ ukuum v´ ura ´

• upkuupha. k´

ari x´ as k´ ukuum kunp´ ıkaar. Original gloss: ‘They did that way again, went to get her again.’ Revised gloss: ‘Then she did the same way again. They went to get her again.’ ◮ Autonomy of punctuation in free translation indicates that

these are units in the Karuk

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Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Transcription of utterances

i-- chéemyach ík vúra ishyâat imshíinaavish chéemyaach ík vúra ataychúkinach i’uunúpraveesh chéemyach ík vúra ishyâat imshíinaavish. chéemyaach ík vúra ataychúkinach i’uunúpraveesh. chéemyach ík vúra ishyâat imshíinaavish. chéemyaach ík vúra ataychúkinach i’uunúpraveesh. 44 45 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 5.987

Phoebe Maddux, 1929, ’Bluejay Myth’ (JPH PHM-24-343a:44-45)

• 2. Formulaic sentences (i.e., introducing and ending stories)

◮ uknˆ

ıi ‘once upon a time’ unusual, as expected

◮ Others – intonation same as typical sentences; pause can be

abbreviated

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Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Use of commas

vúra káan tupuxíchkaanva, kachakâachich. vúra káan tupuxíchkaanva, kachakâachich. Bluejay was dancing hard there. 23 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 4.423 Phoebe Maddux, 1929, ’Bluejay Myth’ (JPH PHM-24-343a:23)

• 3. Sentence-internal commas

◮ Few examples. Always transcribed on one line. ◮ Intonation: low but no devoicing or glottalization before

comma; low afterwards

◮ Pauses: very short (< 100 ms) or nonexistent (coincident with

stop closure released into following word)

◮ Comma vs. pre- or post-posed material w/o comma? ICLDC 4 • 28 February 2015 • Sandy and Mikkelsen Punctuation is prosody: historic transcriptions of Karuk • 17/25

Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Use of commas

uumkárukáan úkrii kachakâachich êem káru apurúvaan uum káru káan úkrii kachakâachich. êem káru apurúvaan. Bluejay was also living there. She was a doctor and sorcerer. 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 5.99 Phoebe Maddux, 1929, ’Bluejay Myth’ (JPH PHM-24-323a:4-5)

Original transcription: uum k´ aru k´ aan ´ ukrii kachakˆ aachich; ˆ eem k´ aru apur´ uvaan. Revised transcription: uum k´ aru k´ aan ´ ukrii kachakˆ

• aachich. ˆ

eem k´ aru apur´ uvaan. English gloss: ‘Bluejay was also living there, she was a doctor and sorcerer.’

• 4. Variably transcribed sentences

◮ Phrases (notes) → sentences (typescript) ◮ Intonation: one unusual, others follow basic pattern ◮ Pauses: fall in range of sentence-level pauses (627 – 1,820 ms,

median 1,490 ms)

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Intro Results Conclusions References Intonation Bright Harrington Correlation

Correlating the transcription systems

Bright Harrington Utterance Period (rise to fall) Semi-colon (falling) Period includes all these Exclamation point (high) Smaller Intonational Phrase Comma Comma or not marked Introducing quote Comma (some finality) Colon Not marked (no finality) Colon Quoted speech Quotes Quotes

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Intro Results Conclusions References Summary Questions Applications

Summary of findings

Can we extract useful information about intonation from transcriptions? Can they be correlated?

◮ Yes! (although can’t recover everything) ◮ Same intonational contour is most common in recordings from

both eras

◮ Where they differ raises interesting questions

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Intro Results Conclusions References Summary Questions Applications

Open questions about intonation and accentuation

◮ Bright’s ‘expressive’ contours also found in Harrington, but:

◮ Somewhat different contexts from Bright’s description. ◮ Interesting directions to explore re: information structure.

◮ Question of individual variation/style.

◮ Higher register in quoted speech found with one speaker, not

with another

◮ Individual style? Generational difference?

◮ Lack of consistency in actual phonetic contours of Bright’s

transcriptions:

◮ Early pitch peaks in utterances, esp. on circumflex accent –

worth looking at again for subtle accentual distinctions

◮ Phonetic correlate of ‘comma’ prosody less consistent than

‘period’ – sparsity of data or less than clear-cut category?

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Intro Results Conclusions References Summary Questions Applications

Pedagogy

Karuk utterance prosody is different from English

◮ Must be learned ◮ Pedagogical challenge - how to ‘read’ punctuation in a

different way

◮ We can identify a typical utterance contour which can be the

baseline for learning/teaching

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Intro Results Conclusions References Summary Questions Applications

Syntactic analysis

◮ Ability to recover intonational phrasing from archival record

allows empirical testing of hypotheses about determinants of word order

◮ Obligatory post-verbal positioning of complement clauses is

prosodically governed

◮ Extraposition of non-initial conjuncts is prosodically governed ◮ Two distinct post-verbal positions for DPs ICLDC 4 • 28 February 2015 • Sandy and Mikkelsen Punctuation is prosody: historic transcriptions of Karuk • 23/25

Intro Results Conclusions References Summary Questions Applications

Acknowledgements Yˆ

• otva!

◮ Present and past Karuk elders, teachers, and activists: Tamara

Alexander, Lulu Alexander, Sonny Davis, Susan Gehr, Julian Lang, Crystal Richardson, Nancy Richardson, Bud Smith, Vina Smith, Florrine Super, Arch Super; and †Lucille Albers and †Charlie Thom, Sr.

◮ Erik Maier and the rest of the Karuk Study Group at UC Berkeley ◮ This material is based upon work supported by a Mellon Project

Grant from the UC Berkeley Division of Arts and Humanities and a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant under Grant Number (BCS-1349075)

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Intro Results Conclusions References

References

Beckman, M. E. and G. Ayers (1997). Guidelines for ToBI labelling. The OSU Research Foundation 3. Beckman, M. E., J. B. Hirschberg, and S. Shattuck-Hufnagel (2005). The original ToBI system and the evolution of the ToBI framework. In S.-A. Jun (Ed.), Prosodic typology: the phonology of intonation and phrasing, pp. 9–54. Oxford University Press. Bright, W. (1957). The Karok Language. University of California Publications in Linguistics 13. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Bright, W. and S. Gehr (2005). Karuk dictionary. Happy Camp, CA: Karuk Tribe of California, Language Program. Harrington, J. P. (1930). Karuk texts. International Journal of American Linguistics 6(2), 121–161. Harrington, J. P. (1932a). Karuk Indian myths. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 107. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. Harrington, J. P. (1932b). Tobacco Among the Karuk Indians of California. Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 94. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. Harrington, J. P. (ca. 1925-1933). Northern and central California: Karok/Shasta/Konomihu, John Peabody Harrington papers. Archived at National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution. Venditti, J. J. (1997). Japanese ToBI labelling guidelines. Working Papers In Linguistics-Ohio State University Department Of Linguistics, 127–162.

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Punctuation in quoted contexts

xás kúkuum vúra voopiip: “uum vúra arara’îin kunxúseentih.“ xás kúkuum vúra voopiip: “uum vúra arara’îin kunxúseentih.” Then she said: “Somebody is making it.” 100 400 200 300 Pitch (Hz) Time (s) 4.477 Phoebe Maddux, 1929, ’Bluejay Myth’ (JPH PHM-24-323a:35)

• 5. Colon (follows verb of speaking, before quoted speech)

◮ Pauses: short (67 – 741 ms, median 698 ms) ◮ Intonation: flat or slight drop, not to extreme L ◮ Changed mind about whether songs ‘count’ as quoted speech ◮ Compare: Bright uses either no punctuation or a comma ICLDC 4 • 28 February 2015 • Sandy and Mikkelsen Punctuation is prosody: historic transcriptions of Karuk • 26/25

Punctuation in quoted contexts

• 6. Quoted speech

◮ Following verb of speaking: double quotes in typescript glosses,

not in free translation or notes

Gloss Then again indeed thus she said: “Her indeed somebodies they are thinking it.” Free Then she said: Somebody is making it.

◮ Without overt verb of speaking: double quotes in typescript

free translation, not in glosses or notes

Gloss Then now it hazel nuts give me. Free “Give me hazel nuts this time.”

◮ Pauses: well within range of “basic” sentences ◮ Intonation: peaks indicate info structure, not raised overall

• 7. Lines of song

◮ Punctuation: variable (notes); commas (typescript) ◮ Pauses: shorter (334 – 876 ms, median 517 ms) ◮ Intonation within sung context not analyzed ICLDC 4 • 28 February 2015 • Sandy and Mikkelsen Punctuation is prosody: historic transcriptions of Karuk • 27/25