The suprasegamentals of communication you mention which are communicated
subtly at times -- and no so subtly at other times -- provides me with
opportunities to distinguish for my students between deep and surface
stuctures of human communication. When I ask one of my children to say
"I'm sorry" to another of my children whose feelings they have hurt,
sometimes they say "I'm sorry!" in a way where the intonation (deep
structure) contradicts the literal message of what they say (surface
structure). Even the grammatical category of ritual insult provides a good
example of how friends can call each other derrogatory names (e.g. "You old
S.O.B. I haven't seen you in years!) and the smile and accompanying tones
contradict the impact of the message. That's why New Yorkers often reply,
"Smile when you say that." Interesting ponderings. roberto