Linguistics 333: Human language and animal communication systems
UNC-Chapel Hill Linguistics
Spring 2025
Elliott Moreton

2025 March 31 (M)

MIDTERM 2: Combinatorial structure

2025 March 28 (F)

Topics: Combinatorial syntax with compositional semantics in nonhumans?

Class:

• Discussion of Robinson (1984) on Cebus olivaceus, following reading guide. Main points:
  • Hockett (1960) design features, and Robinson's use of them
  • Strategy for determining "meaning"
  • "Meanings" of individual calls
  • Syntactic rules for combining calls
  • Semantic rules for combining call "meanings"
  • Is it compositional? If so, is the compositional meaning dependent on the syntax?

Assignment:

• For 3/31 M (pending): Prepare for Midterm 2 on combinatorial structure.

2025 March 26 (W)

Topics: Combinatorial syntax and compositional semantics.

Class:

• Simple examples of combinatorial syntax supporting compositional semantics in human language (slides, Canvas).
• Where have we seen...
  • Combinatorial syntax in non-humans?
  • Compositional "semantics" in non-humans?
  • Combinatorial syntax supporting compositional semantics in non-humans?
• Does the bee dance show compositional semantics? How is "phonetic" similarity related to "semantic" similarity?

Assignment:

• For 3/28 F (pending): Read Robinson 1984 with reading guide on Canvas
• For 3/31 M (pending): Prepare for Midterm 2 on combinatorial structure.

2025 March 24 (M)

Topics: Inadequacy of finite-state machines for human syntax.

Class:

• Start Zoom
• Discuss Chomsky 1957 reading
  • Apply Pumping Lemma for regular languages on Chomsky's examples in (10).
  • English analogues of (10): "The House that Noam Built" (Reich, 1977)
• Syntactic constituency as evidence against finite-state models of syntax.

Assignment

• for 3/28 F: Read Robinson (1984) on Cebus olivaceus, with reading guide (Canvas).
• for 3/31 M: Prepare for Midterm 2 on combinatorial structure. A midterm syllabus is on Canvas (Resources).

2025 March 21 (F)

Topics: Combinatorial complexity: The limits of finite-state machines.

Class:

• Discuss HW 6, finite-state aspects of human phonology
  • Prove that something is regular by exhibiting the machine.
  • How to prove that something isn't regular?
• A general way of proving that a "language" can't be recognized by a finite-state machine: the Pumping Lemma (slides, Canvas)

Assignment for Monday, March 24: Read Chomsky 1957, Ch. 3, with reading guide (on Canvas). Think about why the examples in (10) on p. 21 are not recognizable by finite-state machines.

Announcement: Midterm 2 will be on 3/31 M. A midterm syllabus can be found on Canvas.

2025 March 19 (W)

Topics: Combinatorial structure of primate vocalizations, as exemplified by the titi monkey Callicebus moloch/Plecturocebus moloch (Robinson 1979).

Class:

• Slides: Levels of structure in titi-monkey vocalizations.
• What (if anything) have humans got that these monkeys don't?
• What are they communicating? How could we tell?

Assignment:

• For 3/21 F (pending): Do HW 6 on some finite-state properties of human language.

2025 March 17 (M)

Topics: First-order Markov processes.

Class:

• Transition matrices and first-order Markov processes (slides, Canvas)
• Often, what's interesting is when it's not Markovian
• Example: Hermit Thrush song bout (Kroodsma 2005:255-267)
• Example: Black-Capped Chickadee calls (Hailman et al. 1987)

Assignment:

• For 3/19 W (pending): Read Robinson (1979) on Callicebus moloch with reading guide (both on Canvas Resources).
• For 3/21 F: Do HW 6 on some finite-state properties of human language.

2025 March 7 (F)

Topics: Finite-state modelling of vocalization structure.

Class:

• Discussion of HW 5: Black-Chinned Hummingbird and Flammulated Attila
• Preparation for Robinson (1979) on Callicebus moloch

Assignment:

• For 3/17 M (pending): Read Kroodsma 2005:255-267 (song syntax in the Hermit Thrush), and listen to the accompanying sound file. Note use of words "senior honors thesis".
• For 3/19 W: Read Robinson (1979) on Callicebus (Plecturocebus) moloch with reading guide (both on Canvas Resources).

2025 March 5 (W)

Topics: Report from the field: Emma Reinhardt (UNC-CH Biology) on combinatorial structure in Lincoln's sparrows.

Assignment:

• For 3/7 F (pending): HW 5 (FSMs for Black-Capped Hummingbird, Flammulated Attila)
• For 3/17 M (pending): Read Kroodsma 2005:255-267 (song syntax in the Hermit Thrush), and listen to the accompanying sound file. Note use of words "senior honors thesis".

2025 March 3 (M)

Topics: Finite-state syntax in birdsong. In-class problems using JFLAP.

Class:

• Introduction to finite-state machines (slides, Canvas Resources)
• Implementing finite-state machines using JFLAP
• In-class examples: What do these machines do?
• Exercise: Constructing a finite-state recognizer for the simulated Black-Capped Chickadee corpus (based on Hailman et al. 1987). Hear an example here (Xeno-Canto).

Assignment:

• For 3/7 F: HW 5 (FSMs for Black-Capped Hummingbird, Flammulated Attila)
• For 3/17 M: Read Kroodsma 2005:255-267 (song syntax in the Hermit Thrush), and listen to the accompanying sound file. Note use of words "senior honors thesis".

2025 Feb. 28 (F)

Topics: Finite-state syntax in birdsong. Discussion of Honda & Okanoya 1999 reading. In-class problems using Praat.

Class:

• Start Zoom
• Combinatorial structure: Example from last time of Song Sparrow songs. Recurring pieces, with other pieces inside them.
• Need a way to build models of that structure --- grammars distinguishing well-formed from ill-formed song types.
• Honda & Okanoya 1999: Using finite-state machines to model Bengalese Finch song grammar.
• In-class demo:
  • From raw audio data to segmented and labelled song using Praat Text Grid.
  • From transcription to transition diagram.

2025 Feb. 26 (W)

Topics: Structure in vocalizations.

Class:

• What is structure?
• Example: Humans. HO: "Language in a nutshell" (Canvas)
• Example: Birdsong cases from the Catchpole & Slater 2008 reading.
• ICP: The song repertoire of a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) (Kroodsma 2005:59-60, Track 17, on Canvas).
• Hockett (1960)'s "design features" in human language and Song Sparrow song: Discreteness.

Assignment for 2/28 F:

• Read Honda & Okanoya 1999, and listen to the accompanying sound files (courtesy of K. Okanoya). (On Canvas, with reading guide.)
• Install the JFLAP state-machine simulator, and check that you can run it. Mac users may need to install an older version, like 6.4.

2025 Feb. 24 (M)

Topics: Comparative-phonetics midterm. Hockett's "design features"

Class:

• Go over MT 1
• Discussion of Hockett 1960, with reading guide (Canvas). Here's more information about the Western Meadowlark (Birds of the World)
• "Song types", illustrated with Eastern Towhee (Kroodsma 2005, Track 49)

Assignment for 2/26 W: Read Catchpole & Slater 2008, Ch. 8, through end of Section 3 on p. 215 (Canvas).

2025 Feb. 21 (F)

MIDTERM 1: Primate and avian phonetics

Assignment: for 2/24 M: Read Hockett 1960, with reading guide (both on Canvas Resources)

2025 Feb. 19 (W) --- Cancelled due to snow

2025 Feb. 17 (M)

Topics: Songbird phonetics: Syringeal source and suprasyringeal filter.

Class:

• Uni- and bilateral phonation (Suthers 1999): unilateral, sequential, alternating, independent. (Slides from last time.)
  • Uni- and bilateral phonation: unilateral, sequential, alternating, independent
  • Species: Brown Thrasher, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, Brown-headed Cowbird (all from the Birds of the World site at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology); audio of waterslager canary
• Filter: Suprasyringeal vocal tract (new slides)
  • Trachea (Daley & Goller 2004)
  • Larynx (Bock 1978)
  • Mouth, tongue, and beak (Hoese et al. 2000; Nelson et al. 2005, Riede et al. 2006, Suthers et al. 2016)

Assignment: Review for MT 1 on 2/19 W.

2025 Feb. 14 (F)

Topics: Phonetic potential of nonhuman primate vocal tracts.

Class:

• Discussion of HW 4
  • Human language and non-human primate vocal tracts
    • What consonants could the chimpanzee vocal tract potentially support?
    • Putting that together with what we've read about possible vowels, tones, and phonation types, what can we say about the potential phonetic inventory?
    • How much is needed for human-like language?
  • Bilateral phonation in the song of the American Robin
• Oscine lungs and syrix (slides, Canvas)
  • Flow of air through air sacs and lungs in birds (animation here (G. Ritchison))
  • Oscine syrinx. Images here (G. Ritichison).

Assignment:

• For 2/17 M Read rest of Suthers 1999 on bird vocal anatomy, with reading guide (Canvas Resources)
• For 2/19 W: Review for Midterm 1

2025 Feb. 12 (W)

Topics: Comparative primate vocal anatomy and function: III. Vocal tracts and phonetic potential of living non-human primates.

Class:

• Potential vowel space: discussion of Fitch et al. (2016) reading. ( Macaca fascicularis)
• Beyond vowels: NHP vocal tract anatomy and capability (slides, Canvas Resources)
• Here's a talking MRI video IPA chart that might give ideas for the homework.
• And here's an interactive sagittal section that might also be helpful.

Assignment:

• For 2/14 F: HW 4, the "humanzee" and robins
• For 2/14 F and 2/17 M Read Suthers 1999 on bird vocal anatomy, with reading guide (Canvas Resources)
• For 2/19 W: Review for Midterm 1 (midterm syllabus is on Canvas)

2025 Feb. 7 (F)

Topics: Comparative primate vocal anatomy and function: II. Reconstructed vowel space of Neanderthals.

Class:

• Discuss Lieberman 2007 on reconstruction of Neanderthal vocal-tract anatomy and vowel space, with reading-guide handout
  • Neanderthals, their anatomical and behavioral differences from modern humans
  • Vowel space of modern non-human primates (Owren 1997)
  • Low larynx as costly adaptation for speech
  • Lieberman's arguments about the shape of the Neanderthal supralaryngeal vocal tract
  • Lieberman's inferences about the associated vowel space
  • Implications for language capacity
  • Your thoughts?

Assignment:

• For 2/12 W: Read Fitch et al. 2016 on the potential non-human primate vowel space, with reading guide (Canvas Resources)
• For 2/14 F: HW 4, the "humanzee" and robins
• For 2/19 W: Review for Midterm 1

2025 Feb. 5 (W)

Topics: Comparative primate vocal anatomy and function: I. The larynx.

Class:

• Phonetic potential of NHP larnyngeal source (slides on Canvas)
• Human use of f0 and voice quality in Mpi (Ladefoged)
• Finish reading guide for Lieberman 2007

Assignment For 2/7 F: Finish reading Lieberman 2007, with reading guide (both on Canvas)

2025 Feb. 3 (M)

Topics: Sheep, lambs, and humans.

Class:

• HW 3 (sheep/lamb)
  • Main points:
    • Source/filter independence
    • Relationship between size on the one hand, f0 and formants on the other
    • Relation between vowel articulation, F1, and F2
  • Sheep/lamb measurements (not all possible!)
  • Vocal-tract length calculations
  • Human vowel space
• Begin reading guide for Lieberman 2007 paper.

Assignment for 2/7 F: Read Lieberman (2007) with reading guide (both on Canvas Resources).

2025 Jan. 31 (F)

Topics: Human vowels III: Perturbation theory applied to vowel features.

Class:

• Start Zoom
• Finish off in-class problem from last time (formants vs. harmonics)
• Perturbation theory: effects of rounding, height, backness (slides, Canvas).
  • Audio demo: Lowering schwa formants by 20%.
  • Audio demo: F1 varying through schwa.
  • Audio demo: F2 varying through schwa
• (Time permitting:) In-class problem: Estimating vocal-tract length from the formants of schwa-like vocalizations. Using the formant-dispersion method that we read about in the Fitch (2000) article, please estimate VT lengths for
• this cow (Bos taurus))
• this roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (good view at time-stamp 82.5 s with wide-band spectrogram)

Assignment:

• For 2/3 M: HW 3 (sheep/lamb), with partner! Assignment and audio files are on Canvas in the "Assignments" area.

2025 Jan. 29 (W)

Topics: Human vowels II: perturbation theory

Class:

• Mapping the uniform tube onto vocal-tract landmarks
• Vowel articulations and nodes and antinodes (slides, Canvas)
• In-class problem: Formants vs. harmonics (handout on paper; also on Canvas)
• (Time permitting:) In-class problem: Estimating vocal-tract length from the formants of schwa-like vocalizations. Using the formant-dispersion method that we read about in the Fitch (2000) article, please estimate VT lengths for
• this cow (Bos taurus))
• this roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (good view at time-stamp 82.5 s with wide-band spectrogram)

Assignment:

• Continue on HW 3 (due 2/3 M)
• Mull over the Johnson 2012 Ch. 6 Sect. 2 reading. How is it connected with the Ladefoged & Disner 2012 Ch. 12 reading?
• Bring a hand mirror to class on Monday

2025 Jan. 27 (M)

Topics: Human vowels I: nodes and antinodes

Class:

• Nodes and antinodes: What they are, and why they matter.
• Demonstration with actual tube, and simulation (W. Fendt).
• Demo of acoustic vowel space using Praat New > Sound > Create Sound from Vowel Editor
• Preview of perturbation theory (Johnson 2012 Ch. 6 Sect. 2)
• Partner assignments. Start HW 3 in class.

Assignment:

• For 1/29 W:
  • Read Johnson 2012, Ch. 6, Section 2 only (Canvas)
  • Read Ladefoged & Disner 2012, Ch. 12 (Canvas)
• For 2/3 M: HW 3 (sheep/lamb), with partner! Assignment and audio files are on Canvas in the "Assignments" area.

2025 Jan. 24 (F)

Topics: Position of the larynx in humans and other mammals.

Class:

• Discussion of the Fitch (2000) paper
  • HO: Fitch 2000 reading guide (Canvas, from last time)
  • HO: Laryngeal position (Canvas, new this time)
  • X-ray movie of human vocalization.
  • X-ray movie of human swallowing. Another one can be found on this page.
  • X-ray movie of a dog drinking.
• Partnership questionnaire (5 minutes)

Assignment::

• For 1/29 W: Read Johnson 2012, Ch. 6, Section 2 only (Canvas)

2025 Jan. 22 (W)

Topics: Varying laryngeal position in red deer (Fitch & Reby 2001)

Class:

• Start Zoom
• Discussion of Fitch & Reby (2001), with reading guide
• In-class problem: Estimating vocal-tract length from the formants of schwa-like vocalizations
• Artificial example of known length
• Preview of Fitch 2000.

Assignment for 1/25 F: Read

• Fitch, W. Tecumseh. 2000. The phonetic potential of nonhuman vocal tracts: comparative cineradiographic observations of vocalizing animals. Phonetica 57(2-4):205-218 (Canvas)...
• ... using the Reading Guide (also Canvas, same folder)
• Listen to example vocalizations of pigs, goats, dogs (there's no video till 2:26), and cotton-top tamarins

2025 Jan. 17 (F)

Topics: Resonances of a half-open tube; formants of schwa.

Class:

• Reprise:
  • Source/filter model of mammalian vocalization
  • Effect of tubular filter on source (glottal) spectrum
• Why does schwa have formants where it does? (HO and slides, Canvas)
  • Echoes in the half-open tube (audio)
  • Destructive and constructive interference
  • Resonant frequencies: F1, F2, F3, ... (formants)
• How are the formant frequencies related to the length of the tube?
• Preview of Fitch & Reby 2001

Announcement: Office hours are still W 1-2 and Th 1-2.

Assignment for 1/22 W:

• Read Fitch & Reby 2001 article (Canvas) with reading guide (Canvas).
• See and hear a red-deer/elk roar here
• An audio file is here. To view it in Praat, try the following spectrogram settings: View Range 0 to 2000 Hz, Window Length 0.05s.

2025 Jan. 15 (W)

Topics: Source/filter theory. Empirical filtering properties of half-open tube.

Class:

• Source/filter reprise
• Spectrum of schwa (slides on Canvas):
  • Synthetic glottal waveform, F0 = 100 Hz (similar to Johnson 2012, Figures 2.1 and 2.2)
  • How that actually comes out when played through cheap headphones
  • Schwa made by attaching headphone to 17.5-cm cardboard cylinder
• Demo: Resonances of a half-open cylinder (see slides on Canvas)

Assignment for 1/17 F: Read Johnson 2012, Ch. 2, Sections 1, 3, and 4. This simulation may help (W. Fendt).

2025 Jan. 13 (M)

Topics: The source-filter model of mammalian vocal production. The larynx and phonation. f0. The glottal wave.

Class:

• Return HW 1 (Technology).
• Go over HW 2 (Praat/gibbon).
• Intro to the source-filter model of mammalian vocal production (slides on Canvas)
• Demonstration of acoustic filtering by a half-open tube.
• Source: The larynx (vocal-fold vibration)
• Anatomy and physiology
  • Phonation in real time (movie from Edmonson & Esling 2006, on Canvas)
  • Control of frequency by stretching and relaxing vocal folds (J. Thomas, YouTube). (Note: This video is stroboscopic, so the vocal folds may look like they aren't vibrating.)
  • Four larynges singing together
• Acoustics of the unfiltered glottal wave
  • Synthesized glottal wave, f0 = 100 Hz
  • Synthesized glottal glissando.

2025 Jan. 10 (F)

Topics: Simple and complex periodic sounds.

Before class: The assignment for today involved downloading this audio file. Make sure you have it, and open it up in Praat.

Class:

• Using the Edit function to listen and look (helpful handout from Jen Smith is here).
• The waveform display. The time cursor. Zooming. Selecting an interval.
• Configuring the spectrogram display with Spectrum:Spectrogram settings...
  • Frequency display range: 0 to 10000 Hz
  • Analysis window: 0.05 s
• Simple periodic sounds
  • Physically simple ( simple harmonic motion)
  • Simple psychophysics (auditory-nerve fibers tuned to specific frequencies)
  • Elementary (Fourier's theorem). Hence, appears as single trace on spectrogram.
• Example: Measuring fundamental frequency (on waveform, on spectrogram) using Hill Partridge song from HW 1. (Note: For detailed information on any bird species, visit the Birds of the World site. Onyen required.)
• Complex periodic sounds
  • Example: Golden Jackal (xenocanto.org)
  • = sum of simple periodic waves
  • Fundamental frequency and harmonics.
  • Praat spectral slice, aka "power spectrum".
• Start on HW 2.

Assignment for 1/13 M:

• Do HW 2. The sound file is here (Geissmann gibbon-lab site). There is a new Discussion thread about this HW.
• Read Denes & Pinson 1993, Chapter 4, pp. 47-64 (overview of human vocal-tract anatomy and phonation) (Canvas Resources)

2025 Jan. 8 (W)

Topics: Course organization. Praat. Intro to sound.

Class:

• Go over syllabus (Canvas).
• Read script on preparedness in the classroom.
• Information on Installing Praat, and more Praat resources (Jen Smith). The Praat website is here.
• How to download sound files and open them in Praat (HO, Canvas). Example:
  • Go to this page (xenocanto.org)
  • Right-click on the page where it says ``Download audio file''.
  • Save the file to disk.
  • Open it in Praat.
• Sound waves.
• How microphones work.
• Reading the Praat waveform display.

Assignment for 1/10 (F):

• Read Johnson 2012, Chapter 1, pp. 7--19 (Canvas), an overview of sound. (Those are the page numbers as printed in the book, not the pages of the pdf file.)
• HW 1, "Technology" (Canvas, Assignments)
• Bring a laptop computer to class that day