SPEECH. THE VOWELS. 6ll 



The figures indicate the number of vibrations in a second for the 

 corresponding tone. It will be readily seen that the notes from c' to 

 f are common to all voices; nevertheless, each has. a different timbre. 

 The lowest note, which exceptionally is sung by bass singers, is the 

 contra-F with only 42 vibrations; the highest note of the soprano voice 

 is a'" with 1708 vibrations. 



Hensen devised an especially ingenious method for determining with exactness 

 the pitch of a sung note. The note is emitted against a Konig's capsule, with 

 a gas-flame. Opposite this is a tuning-fork, vibrating horizontally, and provided 

 at the extremity of one prong with a mirror, in which the flame is reflected. If 

 the pitch of the voice is the same as that of the fork, the flame appears in the 

 mirror as a single jet; at the octave two jets appear, at the twelfth three jets, 

 and at the double octave four. 



Each individual has his characteristic voice-timbre, which depends 

 upon the configuration of all of the cavities belonging to the vocal 

 organ. The so-called palatal tones arise from the approximation of the 

 soft palate to the posterior pharyngeal wall. In the production of nasal 

 tones the air in the nasal cavities vibrates more forcibly, as access to 

 these cavities must be freer. 



SPEECH. THE VOWELS. 



The motor processes concerned in speech are carried out in the 

 reinforcing tube the pharyngeal, oral, and nasal cavities; they are 

 directed toward the production of tones and noises. If the latter alone 

 are developed, the voice-apparatus being passive, "whispering" results 

 (vox clandestina) ; if, however, the vocal bands vibrate at the same 

 time, "audible speech" results. Whispering itself may be made quite 

 loud, but to bring about this result a strong blast is required; hence it 

 is fatiguing. It can be practised during both inspiration and expira- 

 tion, in contradistinction to audible speech, which sounds transient 

 and indistinct when produced during inspiration. Whispering results 

 from the sound that is generated, when the glottis is moderately nar- 

 rowed, by the passage of the air over the blunt margins of the vocal 

 bands. In the production of audible speech the vocal processes are so 

 placed that the sharp margins of the vocal bands are directed toward 

 the air-current, and are thrown into vibration by it. 



The soft palate always participates in the production of speech. It is raised 

 with every word, Passavant's transverse ridge being at the same time formed 

 in the pharynx. The palate is raised highest during the utterance of u (oo) and 

 i (ee) ; less high with o and e (a) , and least high with a (ah) . During the enuncia- 

 tion of in and n the palate is stationary; with the explosives it is about as high 

 as with n; and it is lower with the fricatives. With /, s, and especially with the 

 guttural r, it is thrown into a tremulous movement. 



Speech is made up of vowels and consonants. 



Vowels. (Analysis and artificial formation are considered on page 



95-) 



In whispering, a vowel is the sound produced, during either expira- 

 tion or inspiration, by the inflated characteristically shaped oral cavity, 

 the sound having not only a definite pitch, but also a characteristic 

 timbre. The characteristically shaped oral cavity may be designated 

 the "vowel-cavity." 



