Where do features, phonemes, and their typology come from? A Perception-Based Approach
This paper is part of an attempt to develop a proper balance between
perception and production for phonetic and phonological theory.
Deplorably, most past and current approaches have been developed for,
and from, production data and they slight or disregard perception. It is
argued that according to such approaches sound systems would not even
be learnable. It follows that perception and production need to be
integrated. In fact, it is suggested that, in many respects, perception
is primary, because it controls production and determines the nature of
the basic functional units. Consequently, this new approach is termed
perception-based phonology (PBP). Its central assumption is that in
addition to the anatomical prerequisites sound systems have their roots
in the non-language specific and non-species specific properties of the
auditory system.
As for this paper I summarize the arguments that the ontogeny and
phylogeny of distinctive features, phonemes, and their typologyy derive
from perception rather than production. The key evidence is the
perceptual ability of neonates and infants before the onset of speech.
In: J. Leather & A. James (Hg.), Proceedings of the Third
International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second-Language Speech,
New Sounds 97. University of Klagenfurt, 343-350, 1997.