tonal language

In linguistics, tone is the use of pitch contour, pitch register, or both to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning—that is, to distinguish or to inflect words. In simple terms, a particular tone is the movement of a word or syllable's musical pitch: whether held steady, or sliding upwards or downwards, or any complex combination of these. Some scholars also classify phonation, or changes in vocal cord vibrations, under the umbrella of tone.