Rothgänger Hartmut
Faculty of Medicine (Charité), ZHGB, Institute of Medical Anthropology, Humboldt University to Berlin, Luisenstrasse 57, D-10017 Berlin, Germany.
Early Hum Dev. 2003 Dec;75(1-2):55-69. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2003.09.003.
This study has the aim to analyze the acoustic characteristic features of cries and babbling in the course of the ontogenetical development of babies from the 3rd to 5th day on up to the age of 1 year and to compare the results to the acoustic characteristics of the adult language. The mean fundamental frequency of crying increased considerably from 441.8 to 502.9 Hz and the mean fundamental frequency of babbling decreased remarkably from 389.3 to 336.9 Hz. These types of melodies represent individual differences in the course of crying. The first intonations were similar to the hunger cry and later they were on par with the pain cry. The melodies of babbling remained unchanged in the first year of age. Scientific examinations proved that crying and babbling are different. The development of the mean fundamental frequency for both, crying and babbling, showed a contrary tendency within the first year of age. The melody of babbling indicated similarities to the language within the first year of age. At the age of 9 months, the fundamental frequency and the melody contained features of the language of females in labour. Crying of a newborn and infant can be regarded in direct connection with the cries of a grown-up person, particularly in situations of emotional agitation or cultic rituals. Babbling, in contrast, shows structural similarities to the language. This justifies the assumption that the human being possesses two separate communication systems that share the same acoustic channel.
本研究旨在分析婴儿从出生第3天到第5天直至1岁的个体发育过程中哭声和咿呀声的声学特征，并将结果与成人语言的声学特征进行比较。哭声的平均基频从441.8 Hz大幅增加到502.9 Hz，咿呀声的平均基频从389.3 Hz显著下降到336.9 Hz。这些旋律类型代表了哭声过程中的个体差异。最初的语调类似于饥饿哭声，后来与疼痛哭声相当。咿呀声的旋律在一岁内保持不变。科学检查证明哭声和咿呀声是不同的。哭声和咿呀声的平均基频在一岁内呈现相反的发展趋势。咿呀声的旋律在一岁内显示出与语言的相似性。在9个月大时，基频和旋律包含了产妇语言的特征。新生儿和婴儿的哭声可以被视为与成年人的哭声直接相关，特别是在情绪激动或宗教仪式的情况下。相比之下，咿呀声与语言在结构上有相似之处。这证明了人类拥有两个共享同一声学通道的独立通信系统这一假设。
