实验音系学综述

A REVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL PHONOLOGY

本文介绍实验音系学研究的历史,以及它在音系学领域所做的贡献。本文指出实验音系学在五个方面具有自己鲜明的特点。第一,实验音系学认为语言学属认知科学范畴,语言尽管具有复杂性,但也是一种自然现象,受心理认知规律和物理规律制约,所以可以用实验的方法研究和解释共时语音系统和语音的普遍演变规律等。第二,把语音作为自然现象,因此实验音系学的研究理论和方法跟成熟的科学学科,如数学、物理、化学一样是非常明确的,提出假设、采集数据、分析验证,或修改假设、再立论、再预测,循环反复,直到立论更完善。第三,实验音系学研究的范围比传统的语音学或形式音系学要宽广,研究范围除了包括传统语音学的内容外,还包括语音产出、传播、感知的神经认知机制,以及跟语音有关的表情、体态信息关系、社会语音学等内容。第四,实验音系学并不是只研究和描写语言的共时音系结构,还研究历时音变,即研究和解释形成共时语音系统的原因。所以实验音系学的研究著作里往往包含共时和历时两方面的内容,用音变遵循的自然规则来解释共时音系形成的原因。第五,实验音系学倾向于研究世界语言语音系统、语音类型以及语音演变的一般和共性规律。这些一般和共性规律在没有谱系关系的众多语言里和这些语言的历史上会不断重现。本文列举实验音系学四项研究成果,来具体说明实验音系学与形式音系学的不同,它们分别是:1.阻塞音倾向于清音化;2.语音系统形成的机制;3.突生塞音的解释;4.语音阶层性感知问题。最后阐述实验音系学在汉语语音研究中所取得的一些成绩。整篇文章分为五大部分:1.实验音系学的定义以及历史;2.实验音系学研究的历史;3.实验音系学研究举例;4.实验音系学在中国;5.结语。

This paper introduces the history of experimental phonology and its contribution to the field of phonology.In this paper,I point out that experimental phonology has its own distinctive features in five aspects.First,experimental phonologists view language as a phenomenon of nature,albeit a particularly complex one.Language as a cognitive system imputed to individuals is thus to be explained in terms of general facts about the physical world;in terms of specific capabilities of the human species which arose through evolution;and in terms of the interactions of the organism with its environment.Therefore,it is possible to study and explain phonological systems and universal evolution laws of phonology by experimental methods.Second,On the basis of this viewpoint,experimental phonologists believe the research theories and methods of experimental phonology are as clear as those of mature scientific disciplines,such as mathematics,physics and chemistry.Hypotheses are proposed,data are collected and analyzed,hypotheses are verified or modified,and then the theory is established,and then the prediction is made again and again until the theory is more perfect.Third,the scope of experimental phonology is broader than that of traditional phonetics or formal phonology.The scope of experimental phonology includes not only the content of traditional phonetics,but also the neurocognitive mechanism of speech production,transmission and perception,as well as the relationship between expression and posture information related to speech and social phonetics.Fourth,experimental phonology does not only study and describe the synchronic phonological system of a language,but also studies diachronic changes.That is to study and explain the formation of synchronic speech system.Therefore,the research works of experimental phonology often include synchronic and diachronic content,and explain the formation of synchronic phonology by the natural rules of sound change.Fifth,experimental phonology tends to study the sound systems and types of the world's languages,as well as the general laws of sound evolution.These general and universal laws are repeated throughout the history of many languages without genetic relationships.In this paper,four types of studies of experimental phonology are presented to illustrate the differences between experimental phonology and formal phonology.They are as follows:1.The tendency of obstruent consonants to be voiceless;2.The formation mechanism of the sound system;3.Explanation of emergent stops;4.The gradient perception of sound category.Finally,some achievements of experimental phonology in the study of Chinese are discussed.The whole article is divided into five parts:1.The definition and history of experimental phonology;2.The history of experimental phonology;3.Examples of experimental phonology studies;4.Some achievements of experimental Phonology in China;5.Conclusion.