Comparative analysis of functional potential of Russian and Lithuanian intonation units

Russian intonation has been studied from different aspects for quite a long time, in comparison with other languages, where investigation into intonation problems is just gaining acceleration. It is universally known that one of the most important objectives of intonation research is to define intonation units and other elements of intonation system as well as to develop the analysis of intonation in terms of its acoustic expression and functionality. The most debatable issues are related to the ways of defining intonation units, their conceptions and nominations. The most frequently used terms of intonation units are as follows: intonation construction, intoneme, intonation contour, tone phoneme, etc. The article deals with functional potential of intonation units of two languages. The following units are analyzed: intonation constructions of the Russian language and intonation contour of the Lithuanian language. The research reveals that in both languages intonation units as means of intonation systems have the biggest functional potential and can perform the following functions: representational, emotive, appellative and stylistic. Only in some cases functional potential of Lithuanian intonation contour is lower than the Russian intonation construction. It is conditioned by particularity of the structure of Lithuanian grammarVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŠvietimo akademij