This preprint explores prosody—defined as the suprasegmental elements of speech (intonation, rhythm, pauses, stress, volume, speed, and timbre)—as a revealing bridge between underlying intention, emotional dynamics, and structures of power in human communication. In contexts where verbal content can be manipulated or denied, prosody acts as a “non-explicit signature” that filters hidden coherences such as sarcasm, irony, exaggerated neutrality, double bind, or repressed emotionality, which often mask hostility in formal institutional environments. Integrating perspectives from linguistics, social psychology, institutional ethics, and acoustic measurement, the essay proposes a conceptual framework for detecting these asymmetries through observable temporal patterns while avoiding subjective interpretations or “emotional polygraphs.” It is linked to the concept of Universal Coherence (UC), interpreting prosody as a form that reveals incoherences across layers (discourse vs. treatment), using a “fruit” criterion to assess impacts (clarity vs. fear). It also details an offline PWA prototype pipeline for replicable measurement (acoustic features such as F0, RMS, duration, and voiced ratio; a taxonomy of pragmatic indicators; and ethical thresholds), with applications in domains such as politics, justice, education, business, healthcare, and media. The essay addresses risks (false positives, cultural/gender/neurodiversity biases) and proposes a research agenda to validate observable patterns, promoting a “hospitality of communicative forms” that prioritizes protection over persecution. Its ethical approach emphasizes measuring patterns rather than intentions in order to foster congruence in social interactions.
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