QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS: APPARATUS, METHODS. 



63 



interjections, of initial vowels, of the first part of an oration, and of the first 

 line of a poem. 



According to the course of the melody plot when referred to the X- 

 axis we can distinguish "convex," " straight," and " concave" plots; the 

 inchnation of the axis of the plot gives us ''rising," "even," and "fall- 

 ing" melodies. The fundamental law of speech melody is, in my opinion, 

 that each speech unit has a convex — that is, rising-falling (or circumflex) 

 — melody.* This is varied to produce effects of expression. Let us see how 

 it is done. 



Fig. 47. — " Oh," sorrowfully. 



Fig. 48. — "Oh," admiringly. 



A gramophone record of words spoken by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell com- 

 prised a number of interjections. The curve was traced off as described in 

 Chapter II. The melody plots, obtained as just described, are given in 

 figures 47 to 53 with a reduction to J. 



The sorrowful "oh" (figure 47) has somewhat more than the usual 

 vowel convexity, a general rising melody, and an average pitch that is lower 

 than the general average for the discourse of the speaker. The admiration 

 " oh " (figure 48) is characterized by a great amount of convexity ; the degree 

 of convexity is, in fact, a vital element in the expression of the emotions; 



* studies of Melody in English Speech, Philosophische Studien, 1902, xix, 599; A Record of the 

 Melody of the Lord's Prayer, Neuere Sprachen, 1903, x, 1; Elements of Experimental Phonetics, Chapter 

 xxxii, New York, 1902. 



