This is a discipline that is responsible for studying the phonetic characteristics involved in oral communication. As for the term, it comes from the Greek prosody and is formed by the prefix pro, which means close to, and by the root oide, which means song.
Within this discipline is the grammar of orality, also known as prosody, which includes everything related to the study of sounds within linguistics; that is to say, the way in which the phonic thread is organized using various mechanisms without which it would be impossible to emit a coherent or sonically intelligible phrase. These so-called suprasegmental elements are not mere adornments, they are the pillars that support the entire statement and organize the sounds so that their emission is fluid and logical.
Among its elements we find:
- He emphasized: it is a phonic characteristic that allows distinguishing one syllable from another.
- Intonation: a linguistic phenomenon closely related to perception throughout a sentence or during changes in the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords.
- The rhythm: it is the prosodic characteristic determined by the distribution of accents and pauses.
Prosody has a direct relationship with the rhythm we impose on our words. In this sense, the rhythm of a message must be in accordance with the syntax. The human voice and its correct handling are crucial to communicate properly. Therefore, when we speak, the voice transmits sensations to our interlocutor. On the other hand, the voice is part of the personal image.
Prosody, then, constitutes the rhythmic infrastructure of spoken language, its organization in time, and helps to facilitate the speaker's retention of certain segments in memory. And it includes not only the rules related to the order of the syllables but also the meaning they have and the mechanisms linked to it.
That is why every time we hear a message we are able to feel separated from the sounds and the meaning of the words, the rhythm, the intensity, the pauses and everything that is foreign to the words and has more to do with the context. than with the text itself; This is possible thanks to the existence of prosody.
