Operation - Sound shapes

The work carried out in the “Sound Forms” project studies the sound properties of linguistic systems through 4 problematics, the first 2 mainly in the field of phonetics, the next 2 in that of phonology:

Work on the modeling of temporal phenomena aims to characterize the temporal behaviors associated with segmental and supra-segmental phenomena in speech production. It focuses on prosodic facts on the one hand, and on the properties of formantic transitions associated with segments on the other. This work is also backed up by projects in which we are working more specifically on psycholinguistic issues (acquisition, perceptual mechanisms).

A second part of the operation's work, directly linked to the research conducted on temporality, examines how the phenomena studied can be implemented in artificial systems, and aims to evaluate their processing, on the one hand in speech synthesis, and on the other in the auditory system stimulations produced by a cochlear implant. This work is carried out in close collaboration with specialized teams.

The first part of our work in phonology focuses on the form and content of phonological representations (phoneme / segment, syllable), and more specifically on the structuring of these units. It is based on developments in Government Phonology and falls within the framework of the Theory of Elements.

A second part of our work in phonology explores issues at the phonology-syntax interface. These issues have mainly been tackled through the lens of gabaritic morphology, in Afroasiatic languages and beyond. Our work goes beyond the binary opposition of “gabaritic language” vs. “non-gabaritic language” to propose a scale of gabariticity, better able to account for the phenomena observed.

►  For further details, see the individual pages of LLING members and their research topics in the “Doctoral training” section.