![]() Wichmann and his colleagues found that languages that occur around the Equator in particular have a high average sonority, languages in Oceania and Africa have the highest corresponding index. It currently contains the basic vocabulary of 5,293 languages and is constantly being expanded with the support of the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence.ĭr. Wichmann and his colleagues used the Automated Similarity Judgment Program (ASJP) database to test whether these factors actually have an effect on the development of languages. Extensive speech database helps with the analysisĭr. These factors could favor a higher volume of certain speech sounds in warmer climates, known as sonority in scientific terms. On the other hand, warm air tends to limit unvoiced sounds by absorbing their high-frequency energy," explains Dr. "On the one hand, the dryness of cold air poses a challenge to the production of voiced sounds, which require vibration of the vocal cords. Credit: African Studies Institute, University of Georgia Credit: Salish School of Spokane Recording of the Yoruba word "labalábá" meaning "butterfly." Yoruba is a typical high-MSI language spoken in West Africa. Recording of the Colville-Okanagan word "t̓aq̓m̓kst" meaning "six." Colville-Okanagan is a typical low-MSI language spoken around the western part of the US–Canada border. The physical properties of air therefore influence how easy it is to produce and hear speech. Spoken words are transmitted through the air as sound waves. The basic idea behind the study is that we are surrounded by air when we speak and listen. The physics of air influences speaking and hearing "Generally speaking, languages in warmer regions are louder than those in colder regions," says Dr. Søren Wichmann, together with colleagues from China, demonstrates that average ambient temperatures influence the loudness of certain speech sounds. 5) in the online journal PNAS Nexus, Kiel linguist Dr.
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