SpiceHD said:
np Y! you answered my question anyway
i alway have been wondering about tones and some behaviors that hearings have ... those stuff are something i will never understand i suppose... since i have been deaf since i was a baby so i donthave any memory of hearing noises at all... but i have a bit more clear understanding i think
Spice,
Hearies talk to people in other rooms all the time....not necessarily polite, but it happens. In part of our building, there is a section that has dividers in the room. People in one area will talk to the people in the other area. If you were deaf, you'd wonder why people were at their computer just talking
As for tone, I would compare it to expressions, although Reba nailed with trying to explain colors to the blind. One example comes to mind that can get deafies into trouble. (I uses this as an example because a friend was pointing out cultural differences to me)...the term 'F*** You'. Sometimes you say it jokingly to a friend or you say it with authority to an enemy. I'm told that some hearies are offended when a deaf person says this becuase it can easily be taken out of context. Well same for the hearing. From the 'tone' of my voice, one would be able to tell if I was joking with a friend or speaking to an enemy.
There are a lot of other examples and that probably isn't the most polite to use but it shows the difference. Just as you could tell my meaning by an expression, a hearie could tell my meaning by the tone in my voice.
Another example that comes to mind is a question. Take the words 'It Is' If I say it in a flat tone with no fluctuation, it means I'm making a statement, such as answering a question.
"The sky is blue" The reply would be 'It is' but it would be flat as I'm saying this in agreement with the speaker.
Now, if I curve my sound up at the end (again, explaining colors to the blind), it would become a question.
"The sky is blue" and the reply "It Is?" With the 'Is' being a little higher in tone. Just that change in tone, the same two words have gone from a statement into a question.