The _intensity_, or loudness, of the voice is governed by the force with
which the air is expelled from the lungs. The vibrations of the cords,
however, are greatly reenforced by the peculiar structure of the upper air
passages, as stated above.
*Production of Speech.*--The sounds that form our speech or language are
produced by modifying the vibrations from the vocal cords. This is
accomplished by "mouthing" the sounds from the larynx. The distinct
sounds, or words, are usually complex in nature, being made up of two or
more elementary sounds. These are classed either as _vowels_ or
_consonants_ and are represented by the different letters of the alphabet.
The vowel sounds are made with the mouth open and are more nearly the pure
vibrations of the vocal cords. The consonants are modifications of the
vocal cord vibrations produced by the tongue, teeth, lips, and throat.
*Words and their Significance.*--In the development of language certain
ideas have become associated with certain sounds so that the hearing of
these sounds suggests the ideas. Our words, therefore, consist of so many
sound signals, each capable of arousing a definite idea in the mind. To
talk is to express ideas through these signals, and to listen is to assume
an attitude of mind such that the signals may be interpreted.
Pages:
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473