Uptalk

"'Uptalk' is commonly used to refer to rising intonation at the end of declarative sentences, or (to put it more simply) the tendency for people to make statements that sound like questions, a phenomenon that has received wide exposure and commentary in the media. How and where did it originate? Who are the most frequent 'uptalkers'? How much does it vary according to the speaker's age, gender and regional dialect? Is it found in other languages as well as English? These and other questions are the subject of this fascinating book. The first comprehensive analysis of 'uptalk', it examines its historical origins, geographical spread and social influences. Paul Warren also looks at the media's coverage of the phenomenon, including the tension between the public's perception and the views of experts. Uptalk will be welcomed by those working in linguistics, as well as anyone interested in the way we talk today"--

Introduction : Why 'uptalk'? " Defining uptalk ; Labels ; The forms and functions of intonation ; Methodological considerations -- The forms of uptalk : Comparison with other sentence types ; Uptalk shapes ; Pitch levels ; Temporal aspects ; Phonological analyses -- The meanings and functions of uptalk : The downside of uptalk ; The upside of uptalk ; Interactional functions ; Multiple functions -- Uptalk in English varieties : Australian English ; New Zealand English ; Pacific English varieties ; Canadian English ; United States English ; Caribbean English varieties ; British English ; Irish English ; Falkland Islands English ; South African English ; New Englishes ; Non-native speaker English -- Origins and spread of uptalk : Historical and geographic origins ; (Im)migration ; Origins within the intonational system ; Tags and uptalk -- Social and stylistic variation in uptalk use : Speaker sex ; Sexual orientation ; Age ; Ethnicity ; Socioeconomic grouping ; Text types -- Credibility killer and conversational anthrax: uptalk in the media : Opinion pieces ; Letters ; Advice columns ; Profiles ; Reviews ; Popular culture -- Perception studies of uptalk : Perception of high-rise fo…