States of the Larynx in Laughter

Although laughter can occur in various sequential (horizontal) patterns that have been well described, the voice quality components that can occur in laughter also need to be described in order to constitute a vertical array of possible phonetic contrasts. These components have been referred to as ‘states of the larynx’ and interact with pitch and with the ‘segmental’ components of laughter in predictable ways. Changes in laryngeal state can influence the phonetic shape of the voiceless/voiced parameter. Alternations between sources of periodic vibration also play a role in the description of laughter, where these laryngeal components might not otherwise play a role in the phonetics of the given language. Canonical profiles of the principal states of the larynx during various episodes of laughter are demonstrated.