Enrichment of Sociolinguistic Nasality Research with Phonetic Data: Methodological Considerations

Research into nasal voice quality can be seen to split itself quite neatly two streams. In one, we find sociolinguistic studies of nasality, based on impressionistic analyses and the perceptions opinions naïve listeners. These form basis what know about social attitudes motivations behind voice, but often do not clearly define empirical boundaries is nasal. On other side lies phonetic study nasalization. This stream research has focused articulatory aerodynamic realities nasalization, developing methods directly measure airflow through mouth nose during speech, later turning finding acoustic correlates accurately represent this ratio using less intrusive means. Many these are robust have seldom been used observe non-laboratory speech. Crossover between aforementioned streams nasality rare could extremely beneficial. article, established approaches studying in sociolinguistics phonetics outlined evaluated. Existing examples combining discussed suggestions made for future study.