ductalesmente

Ductalesmente is a term in psycholinguistics used to describe a proposed perceptual phenomenon in which sequences of adjacent phonemes or syllables are grouped by listeners into larger perceptual units during real-time speech processing. This chunking is thought to arise from the interaction of rapid coarticulation, auditory masking of segment boundaries, and top-down expectations, and it is proposed to aid intelligibility in fast or casual speech.

Etymology and origin: The term was coined in linguistic literature in the early 2020s by researchers studying sub-lexical processing. It combines a Latin-root element ductus (“leading, drawing”) with mente, the Italian/Latin suffix for adverb formation, to evoke the idea of leading or guiding perception by the mind.

Concept and scope: Ductalesmente refers to the grouping of multiple phonological units into a single perceptual unit that transcends the traditional syllable boundary. It is related to, but distinct from, lexical chunking and word-level parsing. It focuses on sub-lexical units and processing strategies rather than on stable units in the mental lexicon.

Mechanisms and evidence: Proponents cite coarticulatory overlap, auditory similarity, and prosodic cues as mechanisms that encourage grouping. Some experimental studies report improved processing efficiency for stimuli exhibiting high degrees of intra-sequence cueing, though results are preliminary and not universally replicated. Critics argue that the phenomenon may reflect context effects or general chunking rather than a distinct perceptual unit.

See also: psycholinguistics; coarticulation; perceptual grouping; speech processing; chunking.