Variations among the Varieties

Finally, a brief mention should be made of some variations among the varieties of English. Among the more significant patterns, we can cite the following. In Hawaii, the typical terminal high rise of yes–no questions is replaced by an earlier rise followed by a fall (e.g. “Would you like some tea?”). In Welsh English, tag questions are manifested with a ‘rise–fall’ pattern that gives a more emphatic impression.

A noteworthy difference within American English is the frequency of rising pitches in Southern AE, as in (pitch going up at the accent marks):

We played gámes and went for híkes and had the most wónderful tíme. (Bolinger 1998: 55)

Such rises are indicative of the speaker asking for reassurances that he or she is being paid attention to. This pattern is even extended to more routine utterances, such as answering “where are you from?” with “from Texas” (Bolinger 1998: 55). The same tendency has also been noted for Australian English.

The main difference between American English and British English is the latter’s less frequent use of high initial pitches and a more frequent use of final ones in yes–no questions. While in AE the following is expected:

in BE, we encounter

or with no final rise

Since intonation conveys affect and attitude, differences among the varieties may result in wrong impressions. For example, the typical AE rising intonation in yes–no questions may be interpreted by the British as too businesslike, while, on the other hand, Americans may find the British version “over-cordial” and “unduly concerned” (Bolinger 1998).

Bailey (1983: 16–17) gives the following example to contrast four varieties of English:

And he labels each one for the impression it creates on an outsider as (1) condescending, (2) insultingly incredulous, (3) repetitive, (4) unaccountably surprised. (For a detailed study of intonation in English and comparisons with several languages, the reader is referred to Bolinger 1989.)