CHAPTER III 



PHONATION AND ARTICULATION 



CONTENTS. 1. General observations on the fundamental characters of sounds, 

 and their formation by different musical instruments. 2. Structure of larynx as 

 a musical instrument ; functions of laryngeal muscles. 3. Nerves and centres of 

 phonation. 4. Mechanical conditions for the production of laryngeal sounds ; 

 function of different parts of the phonatory system. 5. Principal characteristics 

 of the singing voice. 6. Difficulties and natural imperfections of singing. 

 7. The vowel system in phonetic language. 8. Theory of physical nature of 

 vowel tones. 9. System of semivowels or sounding consonants, middle consonants 

 and mute consonants. 10. Composition of syllables and words. 11. Writing, or 

 graphic language. Bibliography. 



BOTH in animals and man movement may be regarded, broadly 

 speaking, as the external, conscious or unconscious, manifestation 

 of the mental state. But it is essential to discriminate between 

 the movements which betray only instinct and feeling, and the 

 expressional movements which are the means of intellectual 

 communication. 



These expressional movements and attitudes taken as a 

 whole constitute natural language, and are of special artistic and 

 psychological interest. From the physiological point of view 

 they present no difficulties ; they can be explained on simple 

 anatomical principles, and by the general laws of mechanics, 

 which were discussed in the last chapter. 



The natural language and the vocal expression of animals 

 constitute our only objective basis for the construction of a 

 comparative psychology. This language consists of gestures, 

 ejaculatory sounds or noises, and physiognomic attitudes, which 

 are partly imitative (onomatopoeic) and to a far larger extent 

 instinctive, developed according to the laws of heredity and 

 atavism. In this language there is nothing conventional ; it is 

 intelligible to all, without instruction or effort. Without such 

 a language animals would be unable to herd together, unite in 

 families and societies, defend themselves from their enemies, 

 migrate in flocks at certain seasons, etc. 



As a general rule it may be said that natural language is 

 most complete in the more intelligent animals. In different 



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