Prosodic characteristics of early multi-word utterances in Italian children

The capacity to relate two or more words into single intonational contours is an important phenomenon in the transition to early multi-word utterances, but there are few systematic investigations of the related acoustic properties. This study analysed the prosodic characteristics of early multi-word utterances produced by a sample of Italian children with the aim of verifying which prosodic models are detectable in early word combinations. The study focuses on the occurrence of the final syllable lengthening phenomenon. The 32 participants were 13-14 months old at the start of the study. Vocabulary development was assessed monthly up to approximately 200 words. Results show that the capacity to link two or more words in a single intonational contour is not fully developed during the production of the first multi-word utterances, and that final syllable lengthening, even if developed independently, is partially influenced by the development of intonational models. Copyright © SAGE Publications.