Phrase boundary distribution in Catalan

This article has three aims. First, to find out whether the Spanish influence on Catalan found at the segmental level (Lleó, Benet & Cortés 2009) is also to be observed in prosody, specifically with regard to phrasing. More sustained pitch and less continuation rise has been found in a Spanish dominant neighbourhood of Barcelona as compared to a Catalan dominant area. The second aim is to compare the findings from studies based on read speech with those from our spontaneous corpus. Two phenomena have shown different results: sustained pitch and declination. Finally, to contribute to the determination of the relevant levels of phrasing in Catalan. There is no doubt about the domain of the intonational phrase. Below this, pauses seem to establish the border between intermediate and phonological phrases. Perception tests of spontaneous data will be necessary to confirm this hierarchy.