ON THE THEORETICAL STATUS OF THE BASE-LINE IN MODELING INTONATION

The ''baseline'', as an aspect of fundamental frequency (F0) declinati on, is commonly defined as a straight (often logarithmic) line fitted to the valleys in the F0 contour. In a recent study, in line with a go od deal of past work on declination, Terken (1991) assumed that the ba seline so defined would represent a reference value for normalizing th e perceived prominence of pitch accents. The results of the study did not bear out this assumption, but the assumption was not called into q uestion, and instead certain paradoxical conclusions were suggested. I n this paper it is shown that the paradoxical conclusions are unnecess ary if the reference value is not equated with the traditional baselin e, but is assumed to be more abstract, i.e., less overtly manifested i n the actual contour. This has already been proposed in a number of re cent models of intonational phonology.