The articulatory implementation of the breath-group and prominence: Crico-thyroid muscular activity in intonation.
| Number | 93 |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970 |
| Drawer | 2 |
| Entry Date | 04/02/1998 |
| Authors | Lieberman, P., Sawashima, M., Harris, K. S., & Gay, T. |
| Contact | |
| Publication | Language, 46, 312-327. |
| url | http://www.haskins.yale.edu/Reprints/HL0093.pdf |
| Abstract | A theory has been proposed (Lieberman 1967) that accounts for some aspects of intonation in terms of two phonologic features, the BREATH-GROUP and PROMINENCE. Acoustic and physiologic correlates of these features were derived by experimental procedures that made use of subglottal air pressure and flow measurements as well as acoustic analysis. Perceptual data indicated that listeners ‘decoded’ certain intonational signals by means of ‘motor theory perception’ structured in terms of the ‘archetypal’, i.e., primary, articulatory correlates of these features. In the present study this theory was tested by recording the electrical activity of the crico-thyroid muscle of the larynx for a set of 480 short statements and yes-no questions that sometimes had non-terminal [+prominent] syllables. Independently derived data of Fromkin & Ohala 1968 also were examined, and were found to be consistent with the theory proposed by Lieberman except that [+prominent] syllables in UNMARKED BREATH-GROUPS had crico-thyroid activity. In yes-no questions where the crico-thyroid was active at the end of the MARKED BREATH-GROUP, non-terminal [+prominent] syllables had no crico-thyroid activity. The archetypal articulatory correlate of the marked breath-group is an increase in laryngeal tension; [+prominence] involves an increase in subglottal air pressure as well as increases in vowel duration and generally heightened muscular activity. Implementation rules relate the phonologic features to their archetypal and secondary articulatory correlates. |
| Notes |
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