Sounds & Words Week 1 Michaelmas 2010 Mark J. Jones markjjones@cantab.net
Overview First term: phonetics describing the sounds of speech transcription understanding speech production Mark J. Jones Hae-Sung Jeon Second term: phonology & morphology sound systems & structure word structure Bert Vaux
Overview Weekly lectures Lecture Block 7 weeks 1-8 Weekly super-supervisions weeks 2-7 Mark & Hae-Sung phonetics laboratory second floor of the Raised Faculty Building (RFB) meet outside for first class
Phonetics Study of speech speech, not language speech makes language real but language is only one part of speech speech is physical behaviour e.g. movement + airflow physical constraints interaction of biology, physics, & cognition
Speech chain speaker formulates message cognitive (i.e. mental ) representation translation into articulatory movements etc. physics of speech production acoustic signal sound travels through the air sound waves listener hears sound waves sound waves processed by ear electrical output is processed by brain message is decoded!
Investigating speech speaker formulates message behavioural experiments (psychology) brain mapping (neurology) translation into articulatory movements etc. numerous techniques, none of them perfect acoustic signal (since 1990) cheap, easy, non-invasive, production-perception listener hears sound waves audiology electrical output is processed by brain behavioural experiments (psychology) brain mapping (neurology) is speech different from other sounds?
The vocal tract From Hewlett & Beck, 2006
Transcription Alphabetic symbols represent speech sounds International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) useful starting point for phonetics not used for research purposes Transcription is fiction impressionistic so subjective treats sounds as static targets speech is dynamic interpret with caution!
The IPA Different sections Basic classification: vowels free airflow consonants airflow constricted in some way Pulmonic airflow from lungs usually egressive = outward
International Phonetic Alphabet
Plosive Complete constriction Plosive = oral stop complete oral constriction velum raised no airflow oral pressure increases released explosively (Images from Ashby & Maidment 2005)
Plosive
Nasal Complete constriction in oral cavity plus velum (soft palate) lowered Nasal = nasal stop complete oral constriction velum lowered airflow through nose tend to be voiced (vocal fold vibration)
Nasal
Fricative
Voiced fricative Two sources simultaneously: aperiodic turbulence at constriction periodic voicing from vocal folds
Approximant
Manner of articulation Plosive (oral stop) complete closure in oral cavity (or larynx) and velum raised Nasal (stop) complete closure in oral cavity, lowered velum Trill rapid repeated contacts Tap single up-down contact Flap retracted articulator wipes forward Fricative narrow constriction > audible turbulence = frication Approximant wide constriction (most vowel-like) Laterals central closure, airflow at one or both sides
International Phonetic Alphabet
The vocal tract From Hewlett & Beck, 2006
Place of articulation Bilabial upper & lower lips Labiodental lower lip to upper teeth Dental tongue tip (apex) to upper teeth Alveolar apex to alveolar ridge (gum ridge) Post-alveolar as it says Retroflex subapical to hard palate Palatal tongue blade to palate Velar tongue dorsum to palate Uvular tongue dorsum to uvula Pharyngeal tongue root to epiglottis (to larynx?) Glottal vocal folds
Airstream Airflow from lungs is just one possibility for consonant production pulmonic ingressive not used except in 1 constructed ceremonial language Damin stylistic uses (North German etc.: ja ) other airstream mechanisms: glottalic larynx used as a piston both ingressive and egressive velaric / lingual / oral tongue creates airflow only ingressive found naturally (clicks) except Damin again!
Glottalic ingressives Implosives only plosives larynx lowers acts like plunger in a syringe reduces air pressure above it release closure, air sucked in tend to be voiced vocal folds vibrate voiceless implosives are found (Lendu)
Glottalic egressives Ejectives only obstruents (plosive, fricatives, affricates) larynx raises works like a piston compresses air above it can t maintain frication for long only voiceless vocal folds must be tightly adducted = glottal stop some ejectives stronger than others do occur in English! word-final voiceless plosives
Glottalic egressives high pressure
Velaric ingressives Clicks utilise sucking mechanism create velar closure (may be uvular too) create second closure (at lips, or with front of tongue) closures are simultaneous retract tongue between the two closures release front closure air sucked in Damin has velaric egressives (obviously!) Common paralinguistically as consonants in southern (and eastern) Africa
Velaric ingressives low pressure
Summary of airstreams ingressive egressive pulmonic (stylistic) universal glottalic implosive ejective velaric clicks (Damin)
Reading Ashby, Michael, & John Maidment (2005) Introducing Phonetic Science, CUP chapters 1, 3, 4, 7 Hewlett, Nigel, & Janet Beck (2006) An Introduction to the Science of Phonetics, Lawrence Erlbaum chapters 2, 3, 4 Reetz, Henning, & Allard Jongman (2009) Phonetics, Wiley Blackwell sections 3.1, 4.1; chapters 5 & 6 Questions? Email Mark: markjjones@cantab.net
Next week Vowels Phonetics vs. phonology (allo)phones vs. phonemes physics vs. function To do: learn the terms for place and manner not the symbols (yet!) make sure you understand airstreams