Towards an Integrated Formal Model of Fundamental Frequency in Overall Downtrends

Abstract

Although there are major differences in the various conceptual models of Fo scaling, we suggest that the corresponding mathematical formulations may be compatible and that the theoretical differences need not hinder the empirical aspects and practical uses of the theories as demonstrated in speech synthesis. The method follows standard practice in Mathematical Logics: combining and “rounding off” the formalisms of the different models, then allowing for a consistent interpretation of the new unified theory. The approach is applied to two current models of decay in intonation curves. The models and then the conflicts between them are described. These latter were used to construct the integrated model. Our short term objective is to validate the application of our approach by testing and implementing empirical instrumental data obtained independently. 1.