creaky voice

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 2/18/06, RonButters at aol.com <RonButters at aol.com> wrote:
>
> In a message dated 2/18/06 2:27:03 AM, mckernan at LOCALNET.COM writes:
>
> > >Jacobellis is from Stratton, Vt., FWIW. But I'd guess creaky voice is
> > >common among female snowboarders regardless of regional background.
>
> Can you explain what the scientific basis is for assigning this feature (a)
> to females and (b) to snowboarding females?
>
> I have seen some evidence that creakky voice is a feature of young males,
> particularly when they are trying to impress females with their virility.

Well, (a) actually does have a basis in various dialectological
studies, as was discussed here last year:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0505D&L=ADS-L&P=R1779

As for (b), that was based on hearing Jacobellis and other female
snowboarders (Hannah Teter, Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Michelle
Gorgone) interviewed for the Olympics. You can find interview clips
with them via the NBC link I gave:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/index.html
(choose "snowboarding", then choose "off the show")

Jacobellis is particularly creaky, though.


--Ben Zimmer

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