Found 508 Documents across 51 Pages (0.007 seconds)
  1. Rhythmicity or sonority: response to ember and ember's "cross-language predictors of consonant-vowel syllables"Munroe, Robert L. - American Anthropologist, 2000 - 1 Hypotheses

    This article presents a reanalysis of a previous study on language rhythm and consonant-vowel syllables by Ember and Ember (2000). Communicative efficiency, climate, baby-holding, literacy, and mean number of syllables per word were all considered as factors in consonant-vowel syllable use.

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  2. Cross-language predictors of consonant-vowel syllablesEmber, Melvin - American Anthropologist, 2000 - 5 Hypotheses

    This study tests predictors of consonant-vowel prevalence cross-culturally. Authors reevaluate the findings of Munroe et. al. (1996) and also test a new variable—baby-holding—for its relationship to CV score. Results suggest that baby-holding is a significant predictor of CV score.

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  3. Warm climates and sonority classes: not simply more vowels and fewer consonantsMunroe, Robert L. - Cross-Cultural Research, 2009 - 3 Hypotheses

    This article adds nuanced findings to the previous generalization that high sonority of the vowel explains its more frequent use in warmer climates. The authors find that “speakers in warm-climate languages make more use of the so-called “sonorant” consonants, that is, consonants with some of the qualities of vowels” (123).

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  4. Climate and the consonant-vowel (CV) syllable: a replication within language familiesMunroe, Robert L. - Cross-Cultural Research, 1999 - 3 Hypotheses

    Using a sample of four language families, this paper replicates previous findings on the relationship between consonant-vowel syllable use and climate. An secondary finding on the relationship between consonant-vowel syllable use and writing system was also replicated.

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  5. High CV score: regular rhythm or sonority?Ember, Carol R. - American Anthropologist, 2000 - 2 Hypotheses

    This article is a response to Munroe, Fought, and Fought's comments on a previous study of sonority and climate. Authors suggest that the three indices used by Munroe, Fought, and Fought to measure sonority are not the same contruct and present new results that indicate an association between climate, topography, and vowel index.

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  6. Response to ember and ember's "climate, econiche, and sexuality: influences on sonority in language"Munroe, Robert L. - American Anthropologist, 2007 - 1 Hypotheses

    Munroe and Fought attempt to add new perspective to Ember and Ember's (2007) assertion that certain environmental features help to predict mean sonority levels in speech. This article discusses the other possible elements such as word length that might raise the level of communicative efficiency.

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  7. Climate, econiche, and sexuality: influences on sonority in languageEmber, Carol R. - American Anthropologist, 2007 - 4 Hypotheses

    This article focuses on environmental and social explainations for variations in sonority. As expected, results suggest that climate, vegetation density, and sexuality are associated with sonority.

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  8. Human language diversity and the acoustic adaptation hypothesisMaddieson, Ian - Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, 2015 - 1 Hypotheses

    In the field of bioacoustics, the Acoustic Adaptation theory suggests that variation in vocalization across different species can be accounted for by the acoustic properties of different habitats. Here, the researchers test consonant- and vowel-heaviness in human languages against various environmental variables in order to examine the theory's potential application to our own species. The authors identify a significant negative correlation between consonant heaviness and temperature, precipitation, and tree cover, and some positive correlation with rugosity and elevation as their most important findings, while acknowledging the potentially influential roles of migration and demographic factors in producing this relationship.

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  9. Sonority and climate in a world sample of languages: findings and prospectsFought, John G. - Cross-Cultural Research, 2004 - 2 Hypotheses

    This article examines the relationship between sonority and climate. Results suggest that languages spoken in warmer climates have higher levels of sonority than languages spoken in colder climates.

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  10. Cross-language parallels in parental kin termsMurdock, George Peter - Anthropological Linguistics, 1959 - 2 Hypotheses

    This article examines the universal tendency for languages, regardless of their historical relationships, to develop similar words for mother and father on the basis of nursery forms. Findings suggest that Ma, Na, Pa, and Ta are significantly more common sound classes denoting the mother or father.

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