1897-98.] Prof. M‘ Kendrick on Theories of Vowel Sounds. 81 
ably ; indeed, with the same prime, it may vary as much in certain 
cases as several semitones. The pitches of the formants according 
to Hermann are represented as follows * * * § : — 
D 2 E 2 
C 2 #D 2 
} M 1 
E 2 F 2 
I 1 
|A 3 B 3 
— 1 J~~ 
C 4 F 4 
1 
— 1 0 — 
J 
" \f _ 0 
--d 0^ 
4 0 
/f 9 | 
• - 
(ft) i 
C 1 F 1 
U 
Two mouth 
tones. 
0 
Ah 
D 2 E 2 
A 
Two mouth 
tones. 
E 
Hermann maintains that the “ formant ” need not necessarily be 
a partial of the fundamental. Sometimes it is such a note, but 
most often not.f 
Sauberschwartz | has investigated the subject by an ingenious 
application of the laws of the interference of sound. Certain 
vowels were sung into the mouthpiece of a long tube, to which 
other short tubes of definite length were attached. By closing the 
outer ends of certain of these tubes, various partials could be 
extinguished by interference, and the listener at the other end of 
the tube observed an alteration in the quality of the vowel. Thus, 
by extinguishing the formant of a, the sound approximated to that 
of o, and became somewhat nasal. With e there are two charac- 
teristic formants, and Sauberschwartz found that if one of these 
was extinguished, the quality of the vowel was not much altered, 
but that when both were shut out, the vowel was much changed 
in quality, and approximated to u or o. Sauberschwartz in general 
supports Hermann. 
Dr Boeke § of Alkmaar has not only devised an ingenious and 
* Hermann, P finger's Archiv ., Bd. 35, p. 42, 1893. Professor Rutherford 
kindly directed my attention to this diagram. 
t Hermann, P finger's Archiv., vol. 61, 1895, p. 178. 
t Sauberschwartz, P finger's Archiv., Bd. 61, 1895. 
§ J. D. Boeke, “ Microskopische Phonogramstudien,” P finger’s Archiv., Bd. 
50, p. 297. 
VOL. XXII. 22/3/98 
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