A growing body of work on exemplar-based theories learning suggests the possibility formal models phonological representation which will offer deeper explanations basic properties than current allow. The main purpose this paper is to shed light near merger, a recalcitrant problem in sound change and theory, with newer perspective, through case study tonal merger Cantonese.

Numerous studies have documented the phenomenon of phonetic imitation: process by which production patterns an individual become more similar on some or acoustic dimension to those her interlocutor. Though social factors been suggested as a motivator for imitation, few has established tight connection between language-external and speaker’s likelihood imitate. The present study investigated imitation using within-subject design embedded in individual-differences framework. Participants were...

Recent years have witnessed the emergence of a cluster approaches in linguistic theory known as exemplar-based models. Such models are being developed research domains diverse phonetics, phonology, morphology, historical linguistics, semantics, syntax, and language acquisition. This special issue brings together, for first time, articles applying exemplarbased to wide range subdisciplines. We hope that this collection will give readers sense challenges new tools offer.

Abstract: In Lezgian, a Nakh-Daghestanian language, final and preconsonantal ejectives voiceless unaspirated obstruents are voiced in certain monosyllabic nouns. This article offers acoustic evidence confirming that the two coda-voicing series indeed position. Based on comparative evidence, it is demonstrated this phonetically aberrant neutralization pattern result of natural sound changes. Such ‘crazy rules’ () undermine any direct phonetic licensing approach to phonology, such as by cue ().

Variation is a ubiquitous feature of speech. Listeners must take into account context-induced variation to recover the interlocutor's intended message. When listeners fail normalize for properly, deviant percepts become seeds new perceptual and production norms. In question how accumulate in systematic fashion give rise sound change (i.e., pronunciation norms) within given speech community. The present study investigated subjects' classification /s/ // before /a/ or /u/ spoken by male female...

Individual variation is ubiquitous and empirically observable in most phonological behaviors, yet relatively few studies aim to capture the heterogeneity of language processing among individuals, as opposed those focusing primarily on group-level patterns. The study individual differences can shed light nature cognitive representations mechanisms involved processing. To guide our review information, we consider that illuminate broader issues field, such linguistic processes. We also how...

Perceptual compensation for coarticulation (PCCA) refers to listener responses consistent with perceptual reduction of the acoustic effects coarticulatory context on a target sound. The robustness PCCA across individuals and tasks have not been studied together previously. This study reports results two experiments designed determine vocalic influence sibilant perception stability such compensatory response within an individual. Identification discrimination data, collected in laboratory...

Individual variation is ubiquitous in the acoustic realization of human speech; however, little known about nature individual differences coarticulation. Through an in-depth case study temporal dynamics vocalic influences on Cantonese /s/, this demonstrates that coarticulatory effects may vary by sex and self-reported autistic-like traits individual. These findings have significant implications for research phonetics, phonology, sound change.

Phonologization is often understood to be a process along the pathway of sound change where low-level physiological or perceptual variation that gives rise patterns explicitly encoded in grammar. The nature this transition and how it comes about remain largely unclear. broad theoretical goal paper argue phonologization should defined at level individual; takes place whenever an individual acquires so-called “phonetic precursor” as intended, controlled, pattern language, even if exhibits...

The proper treatment of NON-DERIVED ENVIRONMENT BLOCKING (NDEB), also known as the Derived Environment Constraint, has long been subject debate by phonologists. Past approaches include Strict Cycle Condition (Mascaró 1976), Elsewhere (Kiparsky 1982) and underspecification 1993). However, since introduction Optimality Theory (McCarthy & Prince 1993, 1994, Smolensky 1993), phonologists have tried to model NDEB in terms parameterised constraints (e.g. Burzio 1997) or constraint conjunction...

Plural internal reduplication in Washo has generated much interest the phonological literature. This study presents a novel analysis that unifies treatment of set seemingly disparate aspects this plural pattern (e.g. variation placement and size reduplicant, contrastive vowel length stressed syllables, post-tonic gemination, vowel-length inheritance reduplication), relying on interaction between constraints weight assignment, affix anchoring stress assignment. In particular, odd reduplicant...

Speech categories are defined by multiple acoustic dimensions and their boundaries generally fuzzy ambiguous in part because listeners often give differential weighting to these cue during phonetic categorization. This study explored how a listener's perception of speaker's socio-indexical personality characteristics influences the perceptual weighting. In matched-guise study, three groups classified series gender-neutral /b/-/p/ continua that vary VOT F0 at onset following vowel. Listeners...

Abstract Microrobots have a high demand for multi‐agent control to enhance their effectiveness in performing various tasks. While light is power source that can many micro‐structures, the range of controllable objects limited polymeric structures, simple particles, or bio‐cells. This study presents microrobot platform utilizes laser and artificial structures made shape‐memory alloy (SMA). The SMA microrobots travel at speeds up 150 µm s −1 (2.5 BL ) demonstrate complex path navigation,...

Much debate in recent years has focused on the relative contribution of analytic and channel biases shaping typology sound. Moreton (2008) argues forcefully for strength bias, such as Universal Grammar other non-modality-specific cognitive that facilitate learning some phonological patterns inhibit others, creating typological asymmetries its own, unassisted by robustness phonetic precursors. This article focuses assessment precursor robustness. The main goal this is two-fold: (i) to...