Abstract
We posit a classification of sounds useful for studies of sound recognition and identification that accounts for both signal properties (source sound characteristics) and human perception (sound uses). This classification is split into four main branches: (1) systemic (speech and music) sounds, (2) environmental sounds, (3) warning sounds, and (4) animal sounds. We describe the differences between each in terms of criteria related to perception, production and goal. We outline the advantages of our classification, which considers the use of a sound within the context of a communication act, for example, within linguistics; or in harmonics, for musicology. Considering a sound both as a set of acoustic characteristics perceived by a human, and as having particular uses determined by a human, this classification permits a meaningful approach to the study of sound from object- and human-centered perspectives.
Type
Publication
Science and technology for a quiet Europe, Euronoise, Maastricht
This paper presents a hybrid classification system for sounds that integrates both signal properties (acoustic characteristics) and human perception factors (how sounds are used and interpreted). We propose organizing sounds into four main categories: (1) systemic sounds (speech and music), (2) environmental sounds, (3) warning sounds, and (4) animal sounds.
For each category, we analyze distinguishing features related to perception, production, and purpose. Our classification framework is particularly valuable because it considers sounds within their communication context, whether linguistic, musical, or environmental. By accounting for both the objective acoustic properties and the human interpretation of sounds, this approach bridges object-centered and human-centered perspectives in sound research, offering new possibilities for sound recognition and identification studies.
