[…] since the contour components are often constituents of simultaneous morphemes (e.g. the question intonation), we often cannot obtain the phonemes of the segmental morphemes (e.g. 'your' or 'brother', without regard to intonation) until after the contour components have been extracted. Therefore we usually extract the contour components while working on sequences of allophonic segments, whereas we extract the other long components by working on sequences of phonemes.
- Harris (1944), a pag.202, n.22

[…] whereas the long components usually extend over a definite small number of phonemes, the contour components usually extend over a variable (and much larger) number-as many as there may be in a linguistic form or utterance of a particular type.
- Harris (1944), a pag.202, n.22