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How would one approach creating a conlang with a system of intonation, like English? Specifically for a naturalistic a priori conlang.

Some sub-queries I have are

  • What resources are there, if any, on creating intonation system?
  • What systems of describing intonation unambiguously in written text exist, if any?

1 Answer 1

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As far as I know, there isn't a good system in the IPA for rendering intonation. One way to do it would be with a graph (e.g. using Google Sheets).

Intonation is rather complicated, and I don't know too much about it. I do know that most languages on Earth mark questions with a rising intonation (though certain British dialects have a sharp falling intonation instead). There are probably other near-universals regarding intonation too, which you could also use. But you might also be okay borrowing intonation patterns from natlangs, as long as it's not just one language.

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