Ling 290 Midterm 1 Flashcards

0
Q

Acoustic phonetics

A

Physical properties of speech sound waves generated by larynx and vocal tract

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1
Q

Articulatory phonetics

A

How speech sounds are produced in the vocal tract

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2
Q

Phonetics

A

Study of articulatory/acoustic properties of sound

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3
Q

Phonology

A

Abstract principles that govern the form and distribution of sounds in a language

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4
Q

Sound waves produced by complex interaction of:

A

Outward flow of air from lungs, modifications of airflow at the larynx, additional modifications of airflow by position and movement of tongue and other structures in vocal tract

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5
Q

Difference of air flow during breathing and speech?

A

3-4 times as much air exhaled during speech

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6
Q

Difference in breathing rhythm when speaking?

A

Inhalation more rapid and exhalation drawn out

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7
Q

Diaphragm’s function during speech?

A

Contracts to expand lungs (diaphragm lowers and flattens out to make space for lungs in chest cavity)

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8
Q

Larynx

A

Muscle + cartilage located on top of trachea, contains vocal folds

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9
Q

Vocal folds

A

Muscular bands of tissue that stretch front to back in larynx, controls resistance of air and pitch

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10
Q

Difference in vocal fold position during quiet breathing, swallowing and speech?

A

Quiet breathing: cords relaxed and spread apart to allow free flow of air
Swallowing: cords closed tight as not to allow anything in
Speech: vibrating with rapid airflow and proper spacing

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11
Q

Voicing

A

Rapid vibration of vocal folds

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12
Q

What determines pitch?

A

Frequency of vibration of vocal folds

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13
Q

Voiced vs voiceless?

A

Voiceless sounds= vocal folds more spread apart and tense so less vibration

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14
Q

Glottis

A

Space between vocal folds

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15
Q

Glottal sounds

A

Involve constriction or closure of glottis

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16
Q

The vocal tract

A

Region above vocal cords including oral pharynx, oral cavity, nasal cavity; where human speech sounds produced

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17
Q

What’s the problem with using orthography to represent speech sounds?

A

1 letter of alphabet=more than 1 sound, vice versa

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18
Q

Consonants

A

Speech sound produced by stopping it severely constructing airflow in vocal tract

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19
Q

How to describe consonant sounds?

A

Place and manner of articulation

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20
Q

What are stops?

A

Airflow completely obstructed during speech

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21
Q

What are fricatives?

A

Sound produced when air forced through a narrow opening in vocal tract thus sound created by friction

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22
Q

What are affricates?

A

Starts as a stop but releases into a fricative (constricted vocal folds causing friction)

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23
Q

What are nasals?

A

Voiced oral stops but airflow and sound energy channeled into nasal cavity (due to lowering of velum)

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24
Q

What are liquids?

A

Smooth and flows easily; share properties of both consonants and vowels
Tongue blade raised towards alveolar ridge (consonant)
Air passes without friction (vowel)
Only sound in English is /l/

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25
Q

What are glides?

A

Vowel-like articulations that come after or before vowels

Smooth and continuous

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26
Q

Three types of vowels?

A

Lax (short), tense (long), reduced

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27
Q

Diphthongs

A

Single vowel sounds that begin in one vowel position and glide into another vowel position

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28
Q

What is the IPA?

A

International Phonetic Alphabet; set of symbols to represent speech sounds of languages of the world

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29
Q

Earliest attempt at phonetic symbols?

A

Alexander Melville Bell (father of Alex graham bell); famous teacher and writer, writing system called visual speech for the deaf, used symbols that represent vocal organ position and movement

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30
Q

Who created the organic alphabet and broad romic and what are they?

A

Henry sweet. Organic alphabet comes from visual speech and broad romic that resembled the Roman alphabet and symbols made from Isaac pitman and Henry Ellis

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31
Q

Who produced the IPA?

A

IPAssociation and Paul passy

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32
Q

Does English have non pulmonic speech sounds?

A

No: only tsk tsk or tut tut

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33
Q

Is a voiced glottal stop possible? Why or why not?

A

No because vocal cords cannot come together for the glottal stop and vibrate for voiced at the same time

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34
Q

What is Unicode?

A

Standard for encoding of characters for worlds languages; phonetic fonts

35
Q

2 changes that were necessary to the evolution of human speech:

A

1- modification of vocal tract morphology

2- development of vocal imitative ability

36
Q

Explain the source-filter theory

A

Air exhaled from lungs provides power to drive oscillations (vibrations) of the vocal folds. Vibrations in hertz determines pitch. Acoustic energy passes thru vocal tract (pharyngeal, nasal, oral cavities) where it is FILTERED. FORMANTS that modify sound let certain frequencies thru to be heard and blocks others; determined by length/shape of vocal tract and modified by moving articulators (tongue, lips, velum)

37
Q

Explain how larynx changes as a baby grows up

A

Larynx starts out being high enough in the throat to be closely connected to nasal passages which allows simultaneous breathing and swallowing for breast feeding. During maturity larynx moves down (few years after birth and again at puberty).

38
Q

Role of air sacs in larynx? Primates or humans have them?

A

Only primates; role not completely understood but guessed as being for loud calls

39
Q

Which non primates show imitation in speech?

A

Cetaceans, seals, birds

40
Q

Difference between homo sapien and Neanderthal speech?

A

Neanderthal larynx lower and phonetic abilities low; less complex

41
Q

Do Neanderthals have laryngeal air sacs?

A

No; fossils of hyoid bone don’t have indent where air sac fit

42
Q

Describe the comparative approach

A

Using empirical data from living animals to try and figure out the behavioural abilities of extinct common ancestors. Ex: studying vocal behaviour of non human primates can help to identify homologies. Clues from convergent evolution

43
Q

Role of FORMANTS in pre-linguistic hominids

A

1) distinguishing identity of individuals from their voice
2) to estimate body size
3) possibly for mouth breathing during physical exertion (homo erectus)
4) size exaggeration

44
Q

What is the name of the bird’s sound source?

A

Syrinx

45
Q

Function of vocal learning in nonhumans?

A

To create an elaborate verbal repertoire for increasing attractiveness or defending territory and also mastering the shibboleth of the group

46
Q

What is the Beau Geste theory?

A

Animals being able to sing different songs or make diff noises to make a predator think there is more than one animal present

47
Q

Supra-segmentals?

A

Parts of language that are not segmented like tone, etc

48
Q

Classication of communication types?

A

Non linguistic and linguistics; broken up into non vocal, vocal and synthetic

49
Q

What counts as linguistic language?

A

Sign language, writing, human speech, computer speech

50
Q

What are the major branches of phonetics? 3 As

A

Articulatory (use of human vocal apparatus to produce speech), acoustic (nature of sound), auditory (perception of human speech)

51
Q

2 approaches to phonetics? 2 Is

A

Impressionistic (relying on ears and analytical skills) and instrumental (relies on equipment)

52
Q

Homer Dudley?

A

20th century speech scientist who invented the first speech synthesizer called the voder

53
Q

Explain pulmonary ventilation

A

Carbon dioxide and oxygen exchanged in the alveoli of the lungs in a 2 phase process: inspiration and exhalation

54
Q

Describe inspiration

A

Diaphragm is lowered and thoracic cavity expands to make room for air in lungs. Air pressure drops so air can come in and fill the lungs.

55
Q

Describe expiration

A

Diaphragm relaxes which decreases the size of the thoracic cavity, thus increasing subglottal air pressure and pushing air out

56
Q

What is fensterle?

A

Voice disguise ritual in courting

57
Q

Vocal folds and glottis during quiet breathing?

A

Vocal folds are abducted and glottis is open

58
Q

How are bursts created?

A

Building up air pressure by closure and then abruptly releasing it

59
Q

How is noise created?

A

Create a narrow passageway somewhere in the vocal tract and when air moves through the small space, turbulence is created which makes noise

60
Q

Name and describe the 5 manners of articulation

A

Plosives (stops): total oral obstructions, often followed by a release of air (bursts)
Fricatives: partial obstruction; air turbulence creates noise
Affricates: complete obstruction followed by partial obstruction (stop + fricative)
Nasals: complete oral obstruction, velum lowered so air can pass thru nasal cavity
Approximates: a bit of obstruction, no turbulence or noise

61
Q

Name the 7 places of articulation

A

Bilabial- both lips
Labiodental- top teeth+lower lip
Apicodental (interdental)- tongue apex and teeth
Apicoalveolar (alveolar)- tongue apex + alveolar ridge
Palato-alveolar- tongue lamina + alveolar ridge
Dorsovelar (velar)- tongue dorsum+velar
Glottal- glottis

62
Q

4 basic descriptors of vowel sounds?

A

Tongue height (mid, high, low)
Tongue advancement (front, central, back)
Tense vs lax
Lip rounded or unrounded

63
Q

Name 2 phonetic alphabets other than IPA

A

SAMPA (speech assessment methods phonetic alphabet) and ARPABET (advanced research projects agency alphabet)

64
Q

Describe rhythm of speech

A

Stressed and unstressed syllables in a phrase; stressed syllables are usually longer, higher pitched and more intense.

65
Q

How to express stressed and unstressed in writing

A
Stressed= P for primary
Unstressed= U
66
Q

What is electropalatography? (EPG)

A

Patient wears a psuedopalate that fits into their mouth and has electrodes that can sense the touch of the tongue

Problem: psuedopalate has to be specially made for each person and not all sounds can be seen

67
Q

What is magnetic resonance imagining (MRI)?

A

Non invasive approach to view structures inside the body; relies on response of body tissues to strong magnetic field. Show soft tissue AND bone.

Problems: loud, claustrophobic and expensive

68
Q

What is an ultrasound?

A

Uses inaudible sound waves to make images of soft tissue

Problems: can’t see bone and less detail

69
Q

What is a corpus based analysis?

A

Actually counting how many times that a stress pattern occurred in a text

70
Q

What is Praat?

A

Speech analysis software that looks at syllables; measures glottal cycles in hertz and intensity by decibels

71
Q

The way we sound when we speak is determined by two types of influences:

A

Organic component and learned component

72
Q

What determines vocal pitch?

A

Vocal fold mass and length

73
Q

What is vocal timbre?

A

Result of resonance (peak of energy in acoustic spectrum) characteristics of a voice, influenced by vocal tract LENGTH

74
Q

How do you produce a glottal fry sound (creaky voice)?

A

Bring the arytenoid cartilage close together so vocal folds only vibrate in the front

75
Q

How to produce falsetto?

A

Tighten the vocal folds while closing (adducting) them

76
Q

What are our closest non extinct relatives?

A

Chimps and bonobos; share 95-98% of our DNA

77
Q

Homology

A

Shared ancestry between a pair of structures or genes of different species

78
Q

Bipedality

A

Using back two limbs or legs to get around

79
Q

Hypoglossal canal

A

Used to determine antiquity of speech ability; hominids 2 million years ago had same size canal as chimps so it was assumed that they couldn’t speak. But some Neanderthals had the same size canal as humans. Results inconclusive

80
Q

Basicranial angle

A

Flexion of the base of the skull reflects the flexion of the base of the larynx, so it was an early indicator of language in Neanderthals

81
Q

Innervation

A

The distribution of nerves to a part

82
Q

Function of tracheal elongation

A

Allows birds to duplicate sounds created by a larger bird, thus making them sound larger

83
Q

What is the password hypothesis?

A

To distinguish between members of a group and newcomers; knowing the group lingo so others can recognize your voice

84
Q

Which homo species did we exist with for 5000 years?

A

Neanderthals

85
Q

Describe the beads on a string fallacy

A

Incorrect view that speech consists of a series of independently produced sounds, when it’s actually a flow

86
Q

What is co-articulation?

A

Tendency for speech sounds to overlap