Universal principles underlying segmental structures in parrot song and human speech.

ABSTRACT: Despite the diversity of human languages, certain linguistic patterns are remarkably consistent across human populations. While syntactic universals receive more attention, there is stronger evidence for universal patterns in the inventory and organization of segments: units that are separated by rapid acoustic transitions which are used to build syllables, words, and phrases. Crucially, if an alien researcher investigated spoken human language how we analyze non-human communication systems, many of the phonological regularities would be overlooked, as the majority of analyses in non-humans treat breath groups, or "syllables" (units divided by silent inhalations), as the smallest unit. Here, we introduce a novel segment-based analysis that reveals patterns in the acoustic output of budgeri

SUBMITTER: Mann DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7804275 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature