Speech Sound Consonant Definition of Terms

19 2.1.2 Theories on the Definition of Speech Production Dobrovolsky and Katamba 1996 explain that “sound is produced when air is set in motion.” The term set in motion here refers to the understanding that the air supply, being provided by the lungs, is being manipulated throughout the whole vocal tract by various organs so that this air supply can be recognized as speech sounds. The source of sound, according to them, is in the larynx, where the air is processed by the vocal cords. The air, which has been processed, passes the pharynx, and then the oral cavity, and the nasal cavity p. 19. Thus is the explanation of the sound-producing system according to Dobrovolsky and Katamba 1996. Based on their explanation, it can be said that speech-sounds are products of the moving air that goes through the vocal tract. In a positive agreement, Indriani 2005 elucidates that “the air-stream provided by the lungs undergoes important modifications in the upper stages of t he respiratory tract … p. 1” This is what differentiate hum an sound with those of animals‟, that the sound produced by people “undergoes important modifications” so that “it acquires the quality of a speech sound ” p. 1. So, it can be implied that in order to be properly produced, a speech sound needs to undergo the right modification through modification occurring in the trachea, up to the upper cavities; the oral and the nasal cavities. 20 Figure 2.1 Sound-producing System. Taken from Dobrovolsky and Katamba 1996, p. 19. Figure 2.1, as featured in Dobrovolsky and Katamba 1996, p. 19 gives a glimpse of the track taken by the air supply, or as mentioned in the figure, moving air, being exhaled upwards towards the throat, which consists of larynx and pharynx, directly to the nasal or the oral cavity, or both. As the air supply goes, it is modified as such to produce certain speech sound. Thus is the mechanism of speech production. 2.1.2.1 The Air Stream Mechanism Regarding how the air stream mechanism works, Collins and Mees 2003, in their book Practical Phonetics and Phonology, explicate in details that “the overwhelming majority of the sounds found in human speech are produced by an egressive pulmonic air stream p. 12 ”. They further explain that this so called pulmonic air stream is an outgoing air stream produced by the lungs, “partially 21 collapsing inwards ”. This stream then passes through the vocal tract as a set of muscles interacts to configure the vocal tract, articulating the air to become the designated speech sounds. So, the egressive air stream, or as Jones 1975 calls it “breath”, when still in the lungs, can not be called as “voice” just yet. Jones explains that only when the air stream goes in between the vocal cords which lie in the larynx area, and vibrates them, it can finally be identified as voice p. 19. And then when this voice goes upwards onto the oral and or nasal cavity, it will be processed with various speech organs such as the tongue and the teeth, being modified, as Indriani 2005 mentions, in a certain way according to what speech sound the speaker wants to produce. 2.1.3 Theories on the Definition of Articulation The anatomical bits and pieces of the vocal tract is, according to Collins and Mees 2003, termed by phoneticians as the articulators. They mentions that even though the articulators are all originally “‟designed‟ for purposes other than speech”, like “for example, the lungs are primarily intended for breathing; the teeth and tongue for chewing up food and passing it down to the stomach ”, the articulators are said to have “uniquely developed in very specialized ways” p. 25. This has cause an organ like the larynx, of which original role was merely to keep swallowed-up food from entering the lungs, to be one of the most important organs of speech with essential role. The term articulation itself can be defined as “the movements of the tongue, lips and other speech organs”. It is a process of