The potential Neandertal vowel space was as large as that of modern humans
The potential Neandertal vowel space was as large as that of modern humans
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DOI：
10.1006/jpho.2002.0170
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发表时间：
2002-07-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Maeda, S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Boë, LJ;Heim, JL;Maeda, S
自从 Lieberman 和 Crelin (1971) 提出尼安德特人“无法发出人类言语特征的声音范围”的理论以来，尼安德特人潜在的言语能力一直是人们热议的话题。利伯曼和克雷林声称，低喉位的发展是实现足够数量的声音对比的必要条件，因为潜在的元音空间由于扩大的咽腔而扩大。像新生婴儿一样，尼安德特人不具备这种“言语的解剖学基础”，因此无法说话。利伯曼和克雷林进一步声称，这一事实可能导致了尼安德特人神秘的灭绝。在这项研究中，我们反驳了利伯曼和克雷林在他们的理论中提出的发音和声学论证。使用新的拟人化发音模型，我们推断尼安德特男性的元音空间不小于现代人的元音空间，并且我们提出元音模拟来证实这一假设。我们的研究严格限于声道的形态和声学方面，因此我们无法对尼安德特人是否说话的问题提供任何明确的答案。然而，我们确实可以放心地声称尼安德特人在语言形态上并不存在障碍。低喉（和大咽）不能被视为“产生全方位人类言语的解剖学先决条件”。因此，没有理由相信喉部的降低和随之而来的咽部尺寸的增大是言语的进化预适应所必需的。 (C) 2002 年，爱思唯尔科学有限公司出版。
Since Lieberman and Crelin (1971) postulated the theory that Neandertals "could not produce the range of sounds that characterize human speech", the potential speech capability of Neandertals has been the subject of hot debate. Lieberman and Crelin claimed that the development of a low laryngeal position was a necessary condition for the realization of a sufficient number of vocalic contrasts, since the potential vowel space was enlarged due to an enlarged pharyngeal cavity. Like newborn infants, Neandertals did not possess this "anatomical basis of speech", and therefore could not speak. Lieberman and Crelin further claimed that this fact may have caused the, otherwise mysterious, extinction of the Neandertal. In this study, we refute the articulatory and acoustic arguments developed by Lieberman and Crelin in their theory. Using a new anthropomorphic articulatory model, we infer that the vowel space of the Neandertal male was no smaller than that of a modern human, and we present vowel simulations to corroborate this hypothesis. Our study is strictly limited to the morphological and acoustic aspects of the vocal tract, and we cannot therefore offer any definitive answer to the question of whether Neandertals spoke or not. However, we do feel safe in claiming that Neandertals were not morphologically handicapped for speech. A low larynx (and large pharynx) cannot be considered to be the "anatomical prerequisites for producing the full range of human speech". There is, therefore, no reason to believe that the lowering of the larynx and a concomitant increase in pharynx size are necessary evolutionary preadaptations for speech. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.