SHAPE OF WORDS IN THE AIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 158, 5 July 1921, Page 6

SHAPE OF WORDS IN THE AIR.

A wonderful new invention called the LioretgTaph is shortly to be brought to England from France by the London University College authorities for research work into phonetics. The Lioretgrapb (named after M Lioret, the Paris inventor) is for making extremely accurate tracings upon permanent records of tiie actual vibrations of sound in articulated speech. Mr. D Jones (Director of Phonetics at the University) told a "Pajly Chronicle" representative that the instrument is unique It is worked by motor power. "When one utters a vowel sound," said Mr. Jones, "the room is full of vibrations, and each different sound gives vibrations of different shape. In the presence of the Lioretgraph a person saying 'Ah' would record upon paper on the instrument a little wobbly symmetrical line. The principle involved is similar to the ordinary phonograph, but, by means of extremely delicate mechanism, the effects of speech are enlarged an enormous number of times."

The shape of all words in the air can be discovered, and it is believed that it will be possible ultimately with this new invention, aided by mathematical formulae already in. use, to read, analyse, and translate any foreign or unknown tongue of which these lines are the records.