Human Noise
Symbol | <Laugh> <Throat> <Cough> <Smack> <Swallow> <Noise>
Definition | There are many sounds a speaker may produce which have no real meaning. Examples include laughing <Laugh> , clearing one's throat <Throat>, coughing <Cough>, smacking of lips <Smack>, and swallowing <Swallow>. A variety of others, such as hiccupping and a glottal sound, are included in the 'trash' category <Noise> . For the most part, these are self-explanatory and are not difficult to become accustomed to
Description | Let's go into detail.
<Smack> | sound made during spontaneous speech by pressing the lips together and pulling them apart quickly.
<Laugh> | When transcribing spontaneous speech, this is the sound produced when one is happy or contemptuous, showing mirth, joy, or scorn. It is accompanied by a chuckle or an explosive sound - the sound produced when something is funny.
<Swallow> | sound produced when saliva has to be removed; often in combination with <Smack>
<Cough> | sound produced for a variety of reasons, such as when there is irritation in the windpipe or because of embarrassment
<Throat> | sound produced, for example, when phlegm has to be dissolved. Also produced because of irritation, dryness, or some other physiological disturbance.
<Noise> | Spontaneous speech can produces noises that are unique to spontaneous spoken situations. Defined as the human noise "trash-class," it is used to represent human noises for which no other conventions exist to describe them. Sometimes a grunt or a hum or a burp, the <Noise> convention represents any human sound that has no "proper" term or convention to describe it.
Rules for Transcribing Non-Verbal Articulations:
| 1. In the case that one articulation occurs for a prolonged period of time without interruption - ie. a speaker laughs for a period of time - one mark will suffice. 2. These symbols are not to be treated as normal words. Punctuation may not follow them, it always precedes. 3. In the case that one speaker interferes with another by making one of these noises (laughing, coughing, etc is heard in the background), it is transcribed as <Noise>.
Examples | 1. sorry . <Swallow> my mistake .
| 2. +/well/+ <Throat> well , that is okay .
| 3. yes . <Cough> sorry . now we should find a #second date
| 4. we could <Noise> go there tomorrow .
| 5. <Smack> -/it really is in this/- they want to <!2 wanna>+/settle on/+ get to one .
Special Cases | In German transcriptions <Schamtzen>(smack), <Lachen>(laugh), <Schlucken>(swallow),<Husten> (cough), <R"auspern> (throat) and <Ger"ausch>(noise) may be also found.