dtí

dtí is a term used in linguistics to describe a specific prosodic feature observed in a constructed language family used for theoretical study. The concept is not drawn from established natural languages but serves as an instructional example to show how tonal contours can mark sentence type.

In phonology, dtí consists of a rising contour on the first syllable of a word, typically from mid to high pitch, and is realized as a rising [˧˥] contour. In writing, it is indicated by placing an acute accent on the first vowel, as in kíta, to show the presence of dtí.

In grammatical function, dtí marks yes–no questions and adds emphasis to the focus of a sentence. It operates as a tonal morpheme rather than a separate word, interacting with the language's default tone system through a process analogous to tone sandhi, where neighboring syllables adjust pitch.

Distribution and history: The feature appears in a subset of dialects within the constructed language family in the hypothetical corpus. It is often described as arising from an historical shift in sentence-initial intonation, later grammaticalized as a marker of interrogativity.

Examples: Presenting written forms using orthography with a diacritic on the first vowel: kíta (a yes–no question: “Are you coming?”) and kita (a declarative: “You are coming.”).

Related topics include tonal linguistics, prosody, and constructed languages.