World Voice Day at Trinity College Dublin/Lá Domhanda an Ghlóir i gColáiste na Tríonóide
Posted on: 24 April 2013
The Phonetics and Speech Laboratory, of the School of Linguistic Speech and Communication Sciences at Trinity College Dublin, celebrated World Voice Day on April 16th last with a series of events that were open to the public. There was a showcase of voice research at TCD at which the Minister of State Dinny McGinley officiated at the Dublin launch of the ABAIR synthetic voices for Irish that are freely available at www.abair.ie. A recital of songs in Irish, performed by Na Casaidigh and friends rounded off the evening.
The role of voice in speech and communication is one of the major fields of voice research at Trinity College. In a series of public talks, researchers gave the audience an insight into their research. The topics covered included: the intonation of Irish dialects, how tone-of-voice is perceived differently in different cultures and languages, and how modern speech technology can benefit from this research.
ABAIR is a research initiative, based in Trinity College, Dublin, which aims to provide linguistic and speech technology resources for Irish. Its flagship project is an online Irish language text-to-speech synthesiser which is freely available to the public at www.abair.ie. This system speaks out any text in natural and fluent Irish, in either Donegal or Connemara dialects. The third major dialect, Kerry Irish, is currently under development. The website provides access to both these synthetic voices and to a growing suite of linguistic resources for Irish.
Seán Ó Leidhinn (The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht), Neasa Ní Chiaráin (ABAIR), Amelie Dorn (Phonetics and Speech Laboratory), Prof Juergen Barkhoff (Trinity Long Room Hub), Dr Irena Yanushevskaya (Phonetics and Speech Laboratory), John Kane (Phonetics and Speech Laboratory), Prof Vinny Cahill (Dean of Research), Minister of State Dinny McGinnley, T.D., Christoph Wendler (ABAIR), Prof Christer Gobl (ABAIR / Phonetics and Speech Laboratory), Prof Ailbhe Ní Chasaide (ABAIR / Phonetics and Speech Laboratory).
Lá Domhanda an Ghlóir i gColáiste na Tríonóide
Ba é an 16 Aibreán 2013 Lá Domhanda an Ghlóir. Rinne an tSaotharlann Foghraíochta agus Urlabhra de chuid Scoil na nEolaíochtaí Teangeolaíochta, Urlabhra agus Cumarsáide, Coláiste na Tríonóide, an lá sin a cheiliúradh le sraith imeachtaí poiblí. Tugadh léargas ar an taighde an nglór daonna atá ar siúl i gColáiste na Tríonóide. Sheol an tAire Stáit Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich glórthaí sintéise don Ghaeilge a bhfuil fáil orthu saor in aisce ag www.abair.ie. Chuir amhráin i nGaeilge clabhsúr ar an lá agus is iad Na Casaidgh agus cairde a chuir an ceol i láthair.
Tá an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an nglór sa chaint ar cheann de na hábhair is mó iniúchadh i réimse an taighde ar an nglór i gColáiste na Tríonóide. Bhí na taighdeoirí ag caint ar a gcuid taighde agus thug siad léargas ar na hábhair seo a leanas, i measc rudaí eile: iontonú chanúintí na Gaeilge, an bhrí a bhaintear as ton an ghlóir i gcultúir is i dteangacha éagsúla, an tairbhe a d’fhéadfadh teicneolaíochtaí urlabhra a bhaint as an taighde seo.
Is tionscadal taighde é ABAIR atá lonnaithe i gColáiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an tionscadal seo áiseanna teicneolaíochta don Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil, áiseanna a bhaineann le scríobh, léamh agus labhairt na Gaeilge. Is é an sintéiseoir téacs-go-hurlabhra www.abair.ie an áis is mó cáil uirthi a d’eascair as an tionscadal. Léann an córas seo aon téacs amach i nGaeilge nádúrtha líofa le canúint Uladh nó le canúint Chonnacht. Tá an tríú mórchanúint, canúint na Mumhan, ar na bacáin. Tá fáil ar ghuthanna sintéiseacha sa dá chanúint ar an suíomh chomh maith le háiseanna eile teangeolaíochta don Ghaeilge.
Sheol an tAire Stáit Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich T. D. glórthaí nua ABAIR maille leis an suíomh nua-dheartha i mBaile Átha Cliath den chéad uair riamh.