Volume 32, Issue 2

In the description of the distribution of spectral intensity of open and closed vowels as well as of voiceless plosives and fricatives, the use of deviation of spectral structure f^rom equidistribution yields clear distinctions between sounds concerned. A comparison of the open and closed vowels shows a closer approximation of the open vowels to equidistribution with regard to their spectral structure. The same approximation applies the fricatives as compared with the plosives. A clear distinction is found between the vowels and the voiceless consonants (factor 3 as mean value). A distinction of individual sounds does not seem to be possible for various reasons (e.g. dispersion, variations of intensity). Nevertheless, the use of deviation from equidistribution describes typical spectral variations, so that investigations of nasalization, harshness of voice, etc. can be made with it.

It was proprioceptively felt that voiced and aspirated voiced stops in Sindhi are characterized by a slight nasalization. Nasal airflow during the production of voiced stops was therefore measured with a Frøkjaer-Jensen Electro-Aerometer. Results suggest that there is an incomplete velopharyngeal closure which helps to absorb the transglottal airflow and thus prevents the rise in the supraglottal pressure. For the affricated palatal stops of Sindhi, the vocal fold vibrations were, however, maintained by expanding the walls of the supraglottal cavities.

This study analyzes the phonemes of Maltese, an Arabic dialect which has been much influenced by Sicilian and Italian. The method of commutation allows to bring out the phonemes which are defined and classified; then follows the treatment of their combinations and the prosodic features. A specimen of the corpus is added in phonetic and phonemic transcription.