Sound Change

Sound change, the evolution of speech sounds over time, is a central topic in linguistics, currently investigated using both computational and human perception-based approaches. Research focuses on developing computational models, including those employing character embeddings and analyzing phonetic features in speech corpora, to detect and analyze sound changes from historical and contemporary data. These methods aim to improve our understanding of the mechanisms driving sound change, its geographical distribution, and its temporal sequencing, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of language evolution. Furthermore, the study of sound change extends beyond purely linguistic applications, informing our understanding of human-computer interaction and the impact of technology on speech patterns.