Paralanguage

Paralanguage is a component of meta-communication that may modify or nuance meaning, or convey emotion, such as prosody, pitch, volume, intonation etc. It is sometimes defined as relating to nonphonemic properties only. Paralanguage may be expressed consciously or unconsciously. The study of paralanguage is known as paralinguistics, and was invented by George L. Trager in the 1950s, while he was working at the Foreign Service Institute of the Department of State. His colleagues at the time included Henry Lee Smith, Charles F. Hockett (working with him on using descriptive linguistics as a model for paralanguage), Edward T. Hall developing proxemics, and Ray Birdwhistell developing kinesics. Trager published his conclusions in 1958, 1960 and 1961. His work has served as a basis for all later research, especially those investigating the relationship between paralanguage and culture (since paralanguage is learned, it differs by language and culture). A good example is the work of John J. Gumperz on language and social identity, which specifically describes paralinguistic differences between participants in intercultural interactions. The film Gumperz made for BBC in 1982, Multiracial Britain: Crosstalk, does a particularly good job of demonstrating cultural differences in paralanguage, and the impact these have on relationships.

Sigh (disambiguation)

A sigh is an audible exhalation, usually signifying some emotional experience. It may also refer to:

Sigh (band)

Sigh (サイ, sai) is a Japanese extreme metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1989. They are credited as being one of the first Japanese black metal bands, when the majority of black metal in early 1990s came from Scandinavia. They gradually shifted from a more traditional black/thrash metal sound, to a more experimental, avant-garde style.

Biography

Sigh was founded in 1989 in Tokyo, Japan. The band was signed by Euronymous' (of Mayhem fame) infamous label Deathlike Silence Records and released their first full-length album Scorn Defeat on DSP in 1993, shortly after Euronymous' death. The label ceased to exist shortly after his death and Sigh changed to Cacophonous Records.

After major disputes with Cacophonous over promotion and album rights, the band eventually found a new home at Century Media Records. Through this label they released their album Imaginary Sonicscape in 2001, which contained a more avant-garde elements than their previous work. In 2005 they released their full-length Gallows Gallery through yet another source, Candlelight/Baphomet Records. The band then signed to The End Records that released Hangman's Hymn and Scenes From Hell and reissued re-mastered versions of Gallows Gallery and Imaginary Sonicscape with revamped artwork and bonus tracks, before re-signing with Candlelight Records. After returning to Candlelight Records, Sigh has released 2012's In Somniphobia, and have announced recordings for their 10th studio album, Graveward, will begin in mid-2014.

Kelvin Mercer

Kelvin Mercer (born August 17, 1969, in The Bronx, New York) is a rapper, producer, and one-third of the hip hop trio De La Soul. He is known more famously by his alias Posdnuos, or simply Pos. He was born in the Bronx, New York and grew up in East Massapequa, New York.

Mercer and David Jude Jolicoeur were childhood friends. They met Vincent Mason in the early 1980s while attending Amityville High School in Long Island, New York. Mercer's father was a jazz fan.

As a member of De La Soul, Mercer is generally regarded as one of the most consistent and underrated MCs of all time. He has imparted some of his hard-earned experiences in songs such as "Held Down", and "Trying People", from AOI: Bionix. On the latter, he raps: "We were supposed to rid the world of danger / These days we nod heads and small talk like polite strangers / It's natural to fall off, just land close to the tree / I'll be there if they need me to be".

Mercer is also known for his witty, double entendre-laden battle rhymes. "Fuck bein' hard, Posdnuos is complicated" from Buhloone Mindstate's "In the Woods". For example in "Down Syndrome" from 1996's Stakes Is High, he states: "I be a piece of the East Coast, so give a toast to Plug Wonder Why / Back in the day who soaked his words in ginger / So when I ran a phrase in June, you didn't catch it 'til December".