Inspection on Inflection

Pinker's argument about human speech is very intriguing and made me think about my daily life. Inspired by his analysis about the true meaning of our words, I have decided to take a step back and pick apart the nuances of language; more specifically, I wish to focus on inflection. Inflection, as defined by my savior Merriam-Webster, is the "change in pitch or loudness of the voice." Even if you were not aware of the definition of inflection, chances are you have heard of the term. I think this is a great example of the importance of inflection in everyday life. Let's examine what is probably the most used term in human history: "hello." In its most simplistic form, it functions as a greeting between two distinct parties. Then begins the convolutions. Forms like "hey," and "hi," begin to emerge, meaning different things. A simple gesture of "hello" is mainly used in business settings or when meeting someone new. "Hey" and "hi," however, are more commonly proclaimed during times of interaction between friends, family, and children. As we continue down this rabbit hole, the inflection of the voice begins to take root. The "expressive power" of changing the manner in which you say "hi" can create a multitude of scenarios. For example, if I were to say hi to you very enthusiastically with a grin on my face what would you assume? If I merely muttered the greeting and almost seemed disinterested in speaking? I'm sure that each of you reading this pictured a scenario when this happened and either thought "wow, did something good happen?" or "what's wrong?" Just the slightest difference in the way we say a single word can significantly change the experience that will start to unfold. Just think about it; this was only about the greeting "hi!" Imagine the numerous possibilities of the use and implementation of inflection. This just shows the complexity and beautiful relationship language and humans share.

P.S. Down below I linked a Genius video on the linguistics of a rapper, Young Thug. It dives into the interesting topic I was discussing about. Warning: There is profanity used in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFPTrpQ_axk