Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
09:09
Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody
Published on: September 27, 2024
Rational phonological lengthening in spoken Dutch
1Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. hjt@mit.edu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|December 13, 2012
Summary
Dutch speakers optionally lengthen words by inserting a schwa sound. This pronunciation variation is more likely for less frequent words, suggesting a strategy for efficient information transmission.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Phonetics and Phonology
- Sociolinguistics
Background:
- Dutch features optional schwa insertion (epenthesis) between liquid and obstruent sounds.
- This process, exemplified in words like 'film'/'filəm', lengthens words by a syllable.
- Epenthesis is a productive and widespread phonological process in Dutch.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing the choice between lengthened and unlengthened variants in Dutch.
- To determine if probabilistic factors, such as word frequency and contextual probability, affect schwa insertion.
- To explore the implications of these findings for theories of efficient communication and pronunciation variation.
Main Methods:
- Corpus analysis of spoken Dutch.
- Statistical analysis of word frequency and contextual probability.
- Examination of variant forms (e.g., film/filəm, dorp/dorəp).
Main Results:
- Speaker choice between variant forms is significantly influenced by probability.
- Less frequent words or words with lower contextual probability are more likely to be lengthened.
- This probabilistic influence is consistent across different contexts.
Conclusions:
- Schwa insertion in Dutch is not random but probabilistically controlled.
- The findings support the hypothesis of a rational communication strategy for efficient information transfer.
- The study provides insights into the production mechanisms underlying pronunciation variation in language.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:10Interference: Path Lengths
Consider two sources of sound, that may or may not be in phase, emitting waves at a single frequency, and consider the frequencies to be the same.
Two special sources may be considered when they are in phase. This can be easily achieved by feeding the two sources from the same source. An example would be synchronizing the two speakers by feeding them with the same source, such as the sound waves produced by a tuning fork. This setup ensures that the two sources have the same frequency and are...
Two special sources may be considered when they are in phase. This can be easily achieved by feeding the two sources from the same source. An example would be synchronizing the two speakers by feeding them with the same source, such as the sound waves produced by a tuning fork. This setup ensures that the two sources have the same frequency and are...
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:24Components of Language
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...