Focus realization in Albanian: The role of prosody and utterance position.

Abstract

This study investigates the realization of narrow and broad focus in Albanian, an understudied language. Production and perception data were analyzed for narrow and broad focus. Speakers were found to produce broad focus with a low f0-trough (L*) and narrow focus with a high f0-peak (L + H*) in both final and initial positions. Listeners preferred L + H* stimuli for narrow focus in initial position regardless of whether they heard a narrow or a broad focus question. These findings show that focus marking in Albanian is influenced more by position than prosodic cues.