What Are Tonal Languages? Rationalization + Examples
23.3K
In tonal languages, tone and pronunciation work collectively to speak that means. However though each language makes use of completely different tones, not each language is a tonal language.
So what makes a language tonal—and the way does it have an effect on the best way you be taught that language? Observe our information to tonal languages to be taught extra about these fascinating methods of talking.
What’s a tonal language?
A tonal language is any language the place the pitch or inflection of a phrase modifications its that means. Altering the tone of a phrase in these languages can modifications a phrase’s whole that means.
Most of those pitch modifications point out what path the tone goes. A “flat” tone has a impartial pitch, whereas a “rising” pitch begins with a low tone and ends increased. A “falling” pitch is the other, with a better pitch happening in tone.
Checklist of tonal languages
Over one billion individuals communicate a tonal language, together with Mandarin and different languages in Asian and African international locations. Some Native American languages additionally embody tonal parts.
Trendy tonal languages embody:
- Cantonese
- Igbo
- Mandarin
- Navajo
- Punjabi
- Thai
- Vietnamese
- Yoruba
- Zulu
Examples of tonal languages
Except you already communicate a tonal language, it could be obscure how altering the pitch of 1 phrase or syllable can have an effect on the phrase’s that means.
Study extra about how tonal languages work with our examples of generally spoken tonal languages and phrases.
Examples of tone modifications in Mandarin
Mandarin is a widely known instance of a tonal language and one of many most spoken languages on the planet. Tone can change the that means of a phrase solely in Mandarin.
When writing Mandarin in English, we use the Pinyin (sound spelling) writing system. Pinyin consists of tone marks above syllables to point which tone every syllable makes use of. Be aware how the phrase ma modifications if you apply completely different tones.
| Tone | Kind | Mandarin | English | |
| first tone | 阴平 (yīnpíng) | degree tone | mā | mom |
| second tone | 阳声 (yángpíng) | rising tone | má | hemp |
| third tone | 上声 (shàngshēng) | dipping tone | mǎ | horse |
| fourth tone | 去声 (qùshēng) | falling tone | mà | to scold |
| fifth tone | 轻声 (qīngshēng) | impartial tone | ma | signifies a query |
You might also see every tone indicated with subscript numbers throughout the Anglicized phrase. For instance, ma1 makes use of the extent tone, whereas ma4 makes use of the falling tone.
Examples of tone modifications in Punjabi
Roughly 150 million individuals communicate Punjabi worldwide, primarily in India and Pakistan. Whereas Punjabi is a tonal language, it doesn’t depend on tones to the identical extent as others, corresponding to Mandarin. It has solely three tones utilized in on a regular basis speech.
Nevertheless, like Mandarin, altering the tone of a phrase can change the that means fairly a bit:
| Kind of Tone | Punjabi | English |
| excessive falling | ਚੜ੍ਹ (chaṛh) | rise |
| low falling | ਘਰ (ghar) | home |
| degree (impartial) | ਕਰ (kar) | doing |
Punjabi is likely one of the solely Indo-Aryan languages that features tonal parts. Different Indo-Aryan languages, together with Hindi and Bengali, don’t depend on pitch modifications to make clear phrase meanings.
Examples of tone modifications in Vietnamese
Greater than 85 million individuals worldwide communicate Vietnamese, primarily in Vietnam. There are six tones in Vietnamese, and every one can change the that means of a phrase. The six tones mirror variations in pitch, size, contour, and depth in the way you constrict your vocal cords.
When written, Vietnamese diacritic marks information pronunciation and are largely represented by symbols that carefully match the sound.
| Tone | Kind | Intent | Vietnamese | English |
| thanh ngang | flat | impartial | ma | ghost |
| thanh sắc | excessive rising | sharp or indignant | mà | however |
| thanh huyền | low falling | grave or severe | má | mom |
| thanh hỏi | low rising | query | mả | grave |
| thanh ngã | damaged | stumbling | mã | look |
| thanh nặng | dropping | heavy | mạ | coating |
Whereas Vietnamese is a tonal language, it’s syllable-timed fairly than stress-timed. Because of this every syllable inside a phrase takes roughly the identical period of time to say.
Examples of tone modifications in Cantonese
Round 75 million individuals communicate Cantonese in southern Chinese language provinces, together with Guangdong and Guangxi, in addition to Hong Kong. Its tones vary from excessive to low with various ranges of rising and falling, indicating modifications in each phrase that means and emotional intent.
Examples of tonal modifications in Cantonese phrases with a vowel ending or nasal consonant (a consonant by which air continues to circulate when the phrase ends) embody:
| Tone | Kind | Cantonese | English |
| 陰平 (darkish flat) | excessive | 詩 (si1) | poem |
| 陰上 (darkish rising) | low to excessive (rising) | 史 (si2) | historical past |
| 陰去 (darkish departing) | mid | 試 (si3) | strive |
| 陽平 (mild flat) | low (falling) | 時 (si4) | time |
| 陽上 (mild rising) | low to mid (rising) | 市 (si5) | metropolis |
| 陽去 (mild departing) | low | 是 (si6) | sure |
Three further tones exist in Cantonese phrases that finish with a cease consonant (a phrase ending by which airflow stops). These tones are:
| Tone | Kind | Cantonese | English |
| 上陰入 (higher darkish coming into) | excessive | 識 (sik1) | know |
| 下陰入 (decrease darkish coming into) | mid | 錫 (sek6) | kiss |
| 陽入 (mild coming into) | low | 試 (sik6) | eat |
Cantonese is carefully associated to historic Chinese language and is considered one of many most troublesome languages to be taught. Its different vowel size and 6 tones make phrase meanings considerably unpredictable. Moreover, Guangzhou Cantonese provides three further tones in phrases
Examples of tone modifications in Thai
Like different tonal languages, Thai makes use of tone marks to point the pitch and that means of a phrase. Phrases with a couple of syllable can have a couple of pitch, permitting the phrase to tackle as many meanings because it has pitch mixtures.
The 5 tones within the Thai language are:
| Tone | Kind | Thai | English |
| เอก (èek) | low | ไก่ (gài) | rooster |
| สามัญ (sǎa-man) | mid | มา (maa) | come |
| ตรี (dtrii) | excessive | นับ (náp) | depend |
| โท (thoo) | falling | ได้ (dâai) | can |
| จัตวา (jàt-dtà-waa) | rising | ฉัน (chăn) | I |
Of the 40 million Thai audio system around the globe, most be taught Thai from start. Their capability to alter a phrase’s that means comes extra naturally than somebody studying Thai as a second language. Nevertheless, as soon as you recognize extra in regards to the Thai tones and tone marks, it’s a lot simpler to grasp new phrases and phrases in Thai.
Is English a tonal language?
English will not be a tonal language. However in the event you’re a local English speaker, you’ve probably performed with tone when posing a query. The rising intonation on the finish of your sentence signifies that you just’re searching for a solution. Consider the way you would possibly say, “John went to the flicks,” versus “John went to the flicks?”
Nevertheless, it’s necessary to do not forget that in tonal languages, the tones aren’t used to convey questions or feelings. They’re a necessary a part of speaking every phrase in itself.
Pitch-accent languages vs. tonal languages
Pitch-accent languages differ from tonal languages in that just one syllable of a phrase receives a change in pitch, fairly than each syllable (as in tonal languages). Moreover, tonal language audio system typically use the depth and size of a syllable to alter a phrase’s that means, whereas pitch-accent languages solely use a different pitch within the one syllable.
Widespread pitch-accent languages embody:
- Historical Greek
- Japanese
- Norwegian
- Swedish
- Tagalog
- Turkish
As a result of some pitch accents resemble tonal languages of their pitch modifications, some linguists take into account them to be in a subcategory of tonal languages. Nevertheless, pitch-accent languages are a lot much less depending on tone modifications than languages like Mandarin, Vietnamese, or Cantonese.
Tonal languages vs. agglutinative languages
Chances are you’ll hear about tonal languages and agglutinative languages in the identical context, as each sorts of languages require delicate modifications to change the that means of a phrase.
Whereas tonal languages depend on modifications in pitch to alter a phrase’s that means, agglutinative languages change that means by including affixes firstly or ending of a root phrase. Korean, Finnish, and Hungarian are generally spoken agglutinative languages that add a number of affixes to widespread root phrases.
Japanese and Turkish are additionally agglutinative languages—and they’re pitch-accent languages as properly. They alter phrase meanings each by including affixes to a phrase and altering one syllable’s pitch. In case you find out how each sorts of languages work, Japanese and Turkish can be a lot simpler to be taught!
Is it simple to be taught a tonal language?
Due to their tone methods and different phrase meanings based mostly on particular pitch modifications, tonal languages are thought-about troublesome to be taught. Cantonese and Punjabi, specifically, are difficult for learners who don’t know associated languages or for individuals who have by no means spoken tonal languages earlier than.
Nevertheless, many language learners choose up tonal languages with research, apply, and robust studying instruments. Mandarin is a standard second language for college students, particularly within the worldwide enterprise world. With Rosetta Stone, you’ll be able to be taught a brand new language successfully, whether or not it’s Mandarin, one other tonal language, or a totally completely different language altogether.
