The PHONLAB project aims to increase our knowledge about the History of Experimental Phonetics. Our case study is based on the Experimental Phonetics Laboratory (1936-1979) of the University of Coimbra Faculty of Arts, created by the Portuguese phonetician Armando de Lacerda (1902-1984) and regarded
by several foreign linguists in the mid-20th century as the most advanced Experimental Phonetics laboratory in Europe. Our aim is to produce a biography of this Portuguese laboratory, identifying and documenting the instruments and techniques used there, and provide recognition for the actors who performed there and their scientific networks. The importance of PHONLAB also lies in the fact that numerous unpublished historical sources that deal with the work of the laboratory and portray the evolution of Experimental Phonetics throughout the 20th century are rapidly degrading and are there is a risk that they will not survive. A number of documentary sources and materials were identified at the University of Coimbra and in several archives across Europe, the USA, South America and Australia. Phoneticians of different nationalities who underwent specialist training at the laboratory have been identified and contacted, and the collection and preservation of their testimony is an urgently need. The project aims to contribute to the valorisation of a diverse scientific collection that will be made available both to the public and the scientific community. Rediscovering the origins of Experimental Phonetics will have a positive impact on our current perception of the discipline and potentially lead to progress in this field of knowledge.
Funding: Foundation for Science and Technology (2022.06811.PTDC)
Budget: 249.993,35€
Duration: 2023-2026
Partners:
University of Évora (Leader)
University of Coimbra (Partner)
Stockholm University (Collaborating institution)
Team/Elements of the UNESCO Chair: Maria Filomena Gonçalves (Project Co-Coordinator)
Webiste: www.phonlab.uevora.pt
