Why do some people raise their voice at the end of every sentence? It sounds like they're asking a question. Glaswegians and Australians are particularly bad for it. Are they unsure of everything they say and are seeking confirmation?
It is known as the "rising inflection" or "high rising terminal".
It does seem to be characteristic of (some) Australians, but has been spreading among young and presumably impressionable people in the UK over the last few decades (possibly because of the prevalence of Australian soap opera on TV) and in the USA (West Coast, mainly) before that.
AIUI, linguists do indeed associate the tendency with persons lacking in social power, authority and confidence and thereby, a lack of self-esteem. By changing the intonation of a statement into that of a question, they are constantly seeking reassurance and approval.
I think a sentence like "I saw Helen (?) in Tesco (?) and she said that she and James (?) were expecting a baby." (where "(?)" denotes a rising tone) there is an implied "You know Helen, don't you?", "You know where Tesco is, don't you?" and "You've met James, haven't you?" - as if the speaker is constantly seeking confirmation that the listener knows who/what the speaker is talking about.
It's referred to as "up-talk" (because the pitch goes up at the end of each clause/sentence) and it's said to have come across to the UK either from West Coast USA or from Australian soaps such as Neighbours.
I'm sure it was here long before Neighbours was seen here. Back in the 1960s we had a Northern Irish teacher at the school who used to do it a lot. Brian
Indeed they are and this affectation is NOT a dialect.
I have a relative in Liverpool - a university student - who affects this style (probably semi-consciously). Although away from the city these last forty-five years, I can tell the world that the Australian rising inflection *never* formed part of any of the various Liverpool accents. it is entirely learned from the media over the last thirty to forty years.
It makes me think they're not sure what they just said is correct, and are waiting for you to say "uh-huh" after every phrase. Maybe they want to make sure you're paying attention.
ROFL! Well they did used to be that big. I put something in a lift once, it fitted with 1 inch to spare on every side. We had to walk up the stairs to get it! I can't remember what it was now, as I was helping a colleague. Some huge thing to do with biology research.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.