Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
timing of the words
English answer:
enunciation/speed/segmentation/emphasis of words
Added to glossary by
Yvonne Gallagher
Apr 19, 2014 13:00
11 yrs ago
English term
timing of the words
Non-PRO
English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Exercise to say the same sentence in different ways
Context is something that the right hemisphere specializes in as well.
Context means reading between the lines.
It is like the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. It is context, rather than text. Context has a texture to it that is more subtle than the clearly demarcated definitions of things that the left hemisphere loves.
Some compare the left hemisphere to a digital processor, with zeroes and ones, and clearly demarcated definitions such as up versus down, right versus wrong, in versus out.
In contrast, the right is analogic, with a wide spectrum of values not separated into clearly boxed meanings as on the left side. So here you are simply letting yourself get an initial glimmer of the meaning behind words and their non-verbal components.
An exercise you can perform is simply to say a neutral sentence with differing contexts embedded in the tone of your voice and the * TIMING OF THE WORDS *
Here are two of an infinite variety of sentences you can try using this technique:
“I expected you to come to my party on time,” or “You always do what you say you will do.”
Try emphasizing each word in turn with different tones of voice, and see if you can sense how this changes the meaning of the message.
Context means reading between the lines.
It is like the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. It is context, rather than text. Context has a texture to it that is more subtle than the clearly demarcated definitions of things that the left hemisphere loves.
Some compare the left hemisphere to a digital processor, with zeroes and ones, and clearly demarcated definitions such as up versus down, right versus wrong, in versus out.
In contrast, the right is analogic, with a wide spectrum of values not separated into clearly boxed meanings as on the left side. So here you are simply letting yourself get an initial glimmer of the meaning behind words and their non-verbal components.
An exercise you can perform is simply to say a neutral sentence with differing contexts embedded in the tone of your voice and the * TIMING OF THE WORDS *
Here are two of an infinite variety of sentences you can try using this technique:
“I expected you to come to my party on time,” or “You always do what you say you will do.”
Try emphasizing each word in turn with different tones of voice, and see if you can sense how this changes the meaning of the message.
Change log
Apr 22, 2014 08:11: Yvonne Gallagher Created KOG entry
Responses
3 mins
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
679
Selected
enunciating each word at different speeds
and using different tones
saying fast, slow, together in flow, leaving gaps etc
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Note added at 7 mins (2014-04-19 13:07:29 GMT)
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yes, just saw your note in discussion, and you're right here it's about speed rather than appropriate timing
it;
It's talking about how words can sound different and be understood in different ways depending on context and the way they are "demarcated"
so, the use of differnt timings and tones can alter the context (and thus the meaning perhaps) of the words used
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Note added at 7 mins (2014-04-19 13:08:08 GMT)
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typo : differEnt
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Note added at 20 mins (2014-04-19 13:20:26 GMT)
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you're welcome
Here its speed and tone of delivery that might alter how words are understood
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Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2014-04-21 09:33:47 GMT)
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In response to David and AT
I see nothing wrong with the term "timing" and by it I understand
speed, and flow but also segmentation (which words are grouped together) , which also determines where emphasis falls: the gaps/pauses that occur between words (and their duration) can place emphasis on a word or phrase (I'm thinking of Samuel Beckett in particular here and his use of pause to make the audience reflect on what has been said. But more usually, it is by using tone/intonation that emphasis is applied. So, together, timing and intonation determine how a phrase is to be understood
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Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2014-04-21 09:34:47 GMT)
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end bracket after "said" above.
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Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2014-04-21 09:39:37 GMT)
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"Try emphasizing each word in turn with different tones"
so, tones are important but also I would say the timing or segmentation, and gaps or pauses as Jack has shown in his examples and the speed and flow (or not) of delivery
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Note added at 1 day23 hrs (2014-04-21 12:24:27 GMT)
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Yes, I also meant to explain my 7 min. comment "here it's about speed rather than appropriate timing". In English we say "your timing is off", or "not appropriate" to mean that this is not the right time to say such a thing i.e. it is not appropriate to say it now.
Obviously, this is not about THAT meaning of "timing" here.
and emphasis would indeed make a word of longer duration...
saying fast, slow, together in flow, leaving gaps etc
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2014-04-19 13:07:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
yes, just saw your note in discussion, and you're right here it's about speed rather than appropriate timing
it;
It's talking about how words can sound different and be understood in different ways depending on context and the way they are "demarcated"
so, the use of differnt timings and tones can alter the context (and thus the meaning perhaps) of the words used
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2014-04-19 13:08:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
typo : differEnt
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2014-04-19 13:20:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
you're welcome
Here its speed and tone of delivery that might alter how words are understood
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2014-04-21 09:33:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
In response to David and AT
I see nothing wrong with the term "timing" and by it I understand
speed, and flow but also segmentation (which words are grouped together) , which also determines where emphasis falls: the gaps/pauses that occur between words (and their duration) can place emphasis on a word or phrase (I'm thinking of Samuel Beckett in particular here and his use of pause to make the audience reflect on what has been said. But more usually, it is by using tone/intonation that emphasis is applied. So, together, timing and intonation determine how a phrase is to be understood
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2014-04-21 09:34:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
end bracket after "said" above.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2014-04-21 09:39:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Try emphasizing each word in turn with different tones"
so, tones are important but also I would say the timing or segmentation, and gaps or pauses as Jack has shown in his examples and the speed and flow (or not) of delivery
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day23 hrs (2014-04-21 12:24:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Yes, I also meant to explain my 7 min. comment "here it's about speed rather than appropriate timing". In English we say "your timing is off", or "not appropriate" to mean that this is not the right time to say such a thing i.e. it is not appropriate to say it now.
Obviously, this is not about THAT meaning of "timing" here.
and emphasis would indeed make a word of longer duration...
Note from asker:
| Thank you so much, Gallagy, for your explanation! |
| Hi, I was thinking the author may have used the term “timing” in this context, because when you emphasize a word, the word has probably a longer duration, so the “speed” at which you say each word is different according to what you want to communicate to other person...e.g. You ALWAYS do what you say you will do. "ALWAYS" will probably have longer duration than other words if you emphasize it and the speed at which you say each word will be different... |
| You're right! "timing" could have meant a completely different thing in another context and you really helped me distinguish between the two meanings you've mentioned... |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
AllegroTrans
: with David on this, it seems to be more about emphasis (and to a certain extent, timing)
1 day 11 hrs
|
|
see note
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much, Gallagy, for your help and many thanks to all participants in the Discussion, too! "
Discussion
Thanks again and Happy Easter to you all!
Thank you!
And Happy Easter!
Reminds me of this 3-minute video (written and performed by Erik Skuggevik for the Norwegian Association of Literary Translators), where tone, timing, and even sequential order can make all the difference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGYL5sUwr2Q
Happy Easter to all!
Very funny (and "enlightening") indeed!
Thanks and Happy Easter holidays!
Excellent! LOL. Great examples of varying segmentation and punctuation. Like the
"Let's eat Grandma" and "Let's eat, Grandma"example
Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?
Jane
Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Jane
Hi,
Could “timing of the words” in the following passage mean “speed at which you say the words”...or maybe “intonation”?
In this case, it doesn’t seem to refer to “the right time of saying the words” or does it?
Thank you very much for any hint!