gestural phonology

A term used in PHONETICS and PHONOLOGY for a MODEL of SPEECH production in which the UNDERLYING units are represented by classes of functionally equivalent movement patterns (gestures). A particular GESTURE gradually increases its influence on the shape of the VOCAL TRACT, reaches a peak, then gradually decreases its influence. SEGMENTS are modelled as sets of gestures, which have their own intrinsic temporal structure allowing them to overlap in time when executed, the degree of overlap being controlled through their co-production by an underlying ‘speech plan’. The theory brings linguistic units into a closer connection with the underlying motor processes of speech production, and claims to give a unifying account of apparently unrelated speech processes that would be separated by FEATURE-based phonology, such as COARTICULATION, ALLOPHONY, ALTERNATIONS, ASSIMILATION, and other aspects of CONNECTED SPEECH.