Prosody studies the accents, tones and phonic features of a speech.
A Greek term became, in Latin, prosodĭa . The etymological development finally led to prosody , a concept of our language that is used to name the branch of grammar in charge of accentuation and pronunciation .
Prosody, therefore, examines phonic characteristics, tones, and accents. Its object of study is the manifestation of words , analyzing the local accentuation and the general intonation of a phrase.
Prosody, the grammar of orality
At this point it is worth making a clarification. Grammar is the study of the various elements that make up the language and their combinations .
Within this discipline is the grammar of orality, also known as prosody, which includes everything related to the study of sounds within linguistics ; that is, the way in which the phonic thread is organized using various mechanisms without which it would be impossible to emit a coherent or sonically intelligible phrase. These so-called supra-segmental elements are not simple decorations, they are the pillars that support the entire statement and organize the sounds so that their emission is fluid and logical.
The prosodic nature not only includes the sound order of the syllables but also contains a wealth of sociolinguistic, emotional and dialectal information that allows people to understand a certain message that is addressed to us.
Prosody is known as the grammar of orality.
Prosodic analysis
Some of the issues that are analyzed within prosody are the duration of a sentence in time, the number of syllables that are part of the intonation and the speed of speech. Having said this, it is worth mentioning that it is important to keep in mind that prosodic elements are not only very important in the organization of a speech, but also in its reception and interpretation.
Through prosody, emotions are even transmitted. This is possible thanks to the combination of intonation , accentuation , rhythm and pauses that form prosody. Depending on how these prosodic phenomena are handled, the listener's understanding of the speech will be more or less simple.
Prosody, intonation and intensity
In our language, the intonation of words is divided into two parts: the first is ascending and includes from the first sound to the syllable in which the tonic accent is found. And from that point the word begins to descend or ascend depending on whether it has a new accent before reaching the end.
In turn, the words are chained together, therefore the ascending or descending intonation depends on whether or not the sentence concludes at the end of that word ; The elevation being an indication that the phrase is not complete and its descent, its completion.
With all this we can say that prosody not only includes the rules related to the order of the syllables but also with the meaning they have and with the mechanisms linked to it. For this reason, every time we listen to a message we are able to feel, apart from the sounds and the meaning of the words, the rhythm, the intensity, the pauses and everything that is foreign to the words and has more to do with the context than with the text itself; This is possible thanks to the existence of prosody.
Link with non-verbal communication
It should be noted that prosody usually maintains a close relationship with non-verbal communication .
If a person, when speaking, raises the tone of his voice, it is very likely that he also makes a certain movement with his eyebrows. Your speech, therefore, will be formed by what you say and how you say it, also taking into account your gestures and your body posture.