tonic (adj./n.)

A term used by some INTONATION analysts, particularly those working within the British tradition, to refer to the SYLLABLE in a TONE UNIT which carries maximal PROMINENCE, usually owing to a major PITCH change. The tonic syllable is also referred to as the ‘NUCLEAR syllable’, or ‘nucleus’, in this tradition. Most words in a tone unit can carry the tonic syllable, depending on the meaning intended, although the usual position for this is at or towards the end of a sequence. Compare the different emphases in The woman was walking to town with The woman was walking to town and The woman was walking to town. The change in tonicity gives the sentence different implications (e.g. ‘The woman, not the man, was walking . . .’), an important aspect of communication in conversation, where it draws attention especially to the NEW INFORMATION in a sentence.