Sound Change in Aphasic Speech

Abstract. In this study, the speech of a Wernicke aphasic is analyzed in terms of sound change and not with reference to models of language production. The speech of aphasic patients is characterized by numerous grammatical aberrations. Moreover, the patient TeeBee, whose speech is under consideration, produced a lot of phonemic aberrations. The aberrant phones in the words, and the words as a whole, are considered here not to be "just paraphasic", but are considered as possible functional elements (PFEs). In this view, the point is made that PFEs, though being deviant from the norm, still carry a great deal of semiotic value for the hearer. It will be shown by the data presented that phonic aberrations move within certain borders, even in this case of highly aberrant speech. The German phonemic system is substituted by a floating phonemic parasystem with considerable instability in all elements. The distinctive value of German phonemes is disordered by the production of low-functional elements. With regard to these findings, some differences between sound change in language history and sound change in aphasic speech are discussed.