Duck Dynasty's Linguist

Who would have ever thunk that a linguist would be among the characters of a rural reality show? Not me, that's for sure. So imagine my surprise when Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson gave Katie Couric a lesson in articulatory phonetics during the Rural Reality Showdown: Duck Dynasty vs. Swamp People.

Here is a clip from the show that features this lesson.



I have never watched Duck Dynasty, Swamp People or Katie Couric, so I was glad I paid partial attention as my son watched the show. He is a Duck Dynasty fan and I am tempted to buy him a duck call now that I know it can be used as a tool for teaching articulatory phonetics.

Random Linguistics Definitions Beginning with the Letter "V"

verbal dueling In sociolinguistics, a term which refers to the competitive use of language, within a game-like structure, with rules that are known and used by the participants. It is a genre of verbal play - a ritual dialogue in which each speaker attempts to outdo an opponent by producing an utterance of increased verbal ingenuity. It has been noted, for example, in the ritual exchanges between warriors in classical epic texts as well as in the trading of insults between present-day street gangs.

vocal organs The collective term for all the anatomical features involved in the production of speech sounds, including the lungs, trachea, oesophagus, larynx, pharynx, mouth and nose.

Definitions from: A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, Sixth edition, 2008
Image credits: Clipart Etc.

Random Linguistics Definitions Beginning with the Letter "T"

there-insertion A term used in transformational grammar for a transformation which relates pairs of sentences by inserting a there-element, such as A baby is in the bath -> There is a baby in the bath. The latter type of sentence is often referred to as existential.

tip The end-point of the tongue, also known as the apex; used in the articulation of a few speech sounds, such as the trilled [r].

truth conditions A term used in logic and semantics for the conditions under which a sentence is true. For example, Snow is white is true if and only if snow is white.

Definitions from: A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, Sixth edition, 2008
Image credits here.

Illustrating the Production and Comprehension of Language

Two of my favorite language-related illustrations.

From the book Shapes for sounds by Timothy Donaldson, via brain pickings.

From an article in The Economist, illustration by W. Vasconcelos.

I think the illustrations complement each other quite nicely. My compliments to the artists.

complement

n.

1.

a. Something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection.
b. The quantity or number needed to make up a whole: shelves with a full complement of books.
c. Either of two parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other.

compliment

n.

1. An expression of praise, admiration, or congratulation.

Advertising with Articulatory Phonetics

Love these LG advertisements from David Soames Advertising.

Unfortunately, I couldn't enlarge the image enough to make it readable, so here is the copy from each ad.

Top: Grab me a beer.

Left: Pass the chips.

Right: Where's the remote?

The mouth positions in the ads illustrate the place of articulation for bilabial and dental phonemes quite well.






Pragmatics plays a role in the advertisements as well. Viewers of the ads are put into a context where they have to read lips because the music from LG speakers is so loud that people can't hear each other.

A Ventriloquist's Phonetics Pitch

A ventriloquist's performance presents the perfect excuse for introducing some of the subfields of phonetics.



Articulatory phonetics: production point of view (rate of vocal fold vibration of the speaker).

Acousitc phonetics: transmission point of view (fundamental frequency of sounds as they travel from speaker to listener).

Auditory phonetics: reception point of view (pitch as perceived by listener).