cavity (n.)

In PHONETICS, this term refers to any of the anatomically defined chambers in the VOCAL TRACT which are the principal formative influences on the character of a sound. The main cavities are: (a) the OESOPHAGEAL cavity, from oesophagus to stomach, which is used only in abnormal speech production, such as following a laryngectomy operation; (b) the PULMONIC cavity, made up of the lungs and trachea, which is the normal source of speech sounds; (c) the PHARYNGEAL cavity, from the LARYNX to the point where the soft PALATE makes contact with the back of the throat; (d) the ORAL cavity, made up of the whole of the mouth area, and the main means of modifying the RESONANCE of the sound produced at the larynx; sometimes referred to as BUCCAL; (e) the NASAL cavity, made up of the nose and the part of the pharynx above the point of soft palate closure.

In Chomsky and Halle’s DISTINCTIVE FEATURE theory of PHONOLOGY, cavity features constitute one of the five main dimensions in terms of which speech sounds are analyzed (the others being MAJOR CLASS FEATURES, MANNER OF ARTICULATION features, SOURCE FEATURES, and PROSODIC features). The features subsumed under this heading, all analyzed as OPPOSITIONS, are CORONAL, ANTERIOR, TONGUE-BODY FEATURES (HIGH/LOW/ BACK), ROUNDED, DISTRIBUTED, COVERED, GLOTTAL constrictions, and SECONDARY APERTURES (NASAL and LATERAL). In some models of FEATURE GEOMETRY, an oral cavity node is introduced, corresponding to the articulatory notion of an oral cavity CONSTRICTION. It is represented between the ROOT NODE and the PLACE node, thus DOMINATING place and [±continuant] nodes.