The Falling-Rising Intonation of Surin Khmer

Abstract

This article aims to study the divergence of intonation in the Surin Khmer. The case study is the Khmer language in Sawaija village, Sawai sub-district, Muang district in Surin. The study found similar types of sounds that distinguish the meaning of the sentence into four phonemic contrasts including falling tone, raising tone, falling-raising tone and raising-falling tone. The final type was additionally found apart from the previous research in the Northern Khmer studies (Yodmongkhon, 1986 and Phon-Ngam, 1987) with a pattern of changing pitch existed throughout sentences that convey specific meaning with tonal distinction from other dialectal varieties. It is found that speakers use these types of intonation frequently.