614 SPEECH. THE VOWELS. 



musical instrument, which not only gives forth its sound in a certain 

 pitch, but also allows it to ring with a characteristic timbre. 



Thus, the vowel-sound U (oo), when whispered, has, besides its fundamental 

 tone b, a'soft, whistling timbre; I (ee), with its fundamental tone b"", a hissing, 

 whistling timbre; A, with its tone b", an open, blowing timbre. This timbre 

 depends upon the number and the pitch of the overtones peculiar to the vowel- 

 sound, which are considered in the section on analysis of the vowels (auditory 

 apparatus, p. 905). 



The timbre of the vowels may, further, be modified in a special 

 manner when they are uttered with a "nasal" twang, as is prevalent 

 in the French language. The nasal timbre is produced when the soft 

 palate does not close off the nasal cavity, as happens during utterance 

 of the pure vowels, so that the air in the nasal cavity is set into sym- 

 pathetic vibration. When a vowel is spoken with a nasal timbre, the 

 air thus escapes through both the mouth and the nose ; when the vowel 

 is spoken purely, the air escapes only through the mouth. Hence r 

 in the former case, a light held in front of the nostrils will flicker, or a 

 cold glass or metal will be moistened; but not in the latter case. 



In closure of the nasal cavity the soft palate is raised, in smallest measure 

 when A (ah) is pronounced; then follow O, E (a), U (oo), I (ee). High and 

 loud tones require more marked elevation, during which the velum presents a 

 notch in the situation of the elevators of the palate. The opening of the Eusta- 

 chian tube is constricted, but never entirely closed, by the elevation of the palate. 



In uttering the pure, non -nasal vowels, the nasal cavity is so firmly closed 

 off from the mouth that it can be sprung open only by an artificial increase in 

 the pressure within the nose of from 30 to 100 mm. of mercury, with the develop- 

 ment of a gurgling rhonchal sound. 



The nasal twang occurs as a result of resonance in the naso-pharyngeal cavity ; 

 at the same time a portion of the cavity of the mouth is excluded by elevation 

 of the dorsum of the tongue and depression of the palate. 



Especially the vowels a (ah), a (&), 6 (ce), o, e (a), are employed 

 with a nasal accent. The nasal i (ee), however, does not appear to occur 

 in any language. At all events it is hard to form, because in sounding 

 it the oral canal is so narrow that if the nasal cavity be open at the same 

 time the air will escape almost completely through the latter, while 

 the small amount passing through the mouth is hardly sufficient to 

 produce a sound. 



In pronouncing the vowels it should also be observed whether they 

 are uttered through a previously closed glottis, as is the case in German 

 with all vowels placed at the beginning of words. Thus, the glottis 

 is at first closed, but it is sprung open simultaneously with the intona- 

 tion at the moment of commencing the word. Pronunciation of vowels 

 in this manner was termed by the Greeks spiritus lenis. If, however, 

 the vowel is pronounced after a preliminary breath has passed through 

 the open glottis, and the sound of the vowel follows immediately, then 

 the aspirate vowel results, corresponding to the spiritus asper of the 

 Greeks. 



If the vowels are pronounced audibly, therefore with a simultaneous 

 sound of the voice, the fundamental tone of the vowel-cavity, with its 

 constant, absolute pitch, strengthens in a characteristic manner the 

 corresponding partial tone present in the sound of the voice. Accord- 

 ingly, the vowels are intonated most purely from a musical point of 

 view when the pitch of the tone is so adjusted as to contain overtones 



