Arthur S. Abramson


Arthur Seymour Abramson was an American linguist, phonetician, and speech scientist. Abramson was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Connecticut, where he was the founding chair, and a Senior Scientist at Haskins Laboratories in New Haven, Connecticut. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Haskins and is the Secretary of Haskins and its Board. Abramson was best known for his work with colleague Leigh Lisker on voice onset timing. He was also an expert on Southeast Asian Languages and has spent much time working with colleagues in Thailand. His other research interests included experimental phonetics, the production and perception of speech, laryngeal control in consonants, and distinctive tone, particularly in the Thai language. He died on December 15, 2017.

Education

Arthur Abramson received his B.A. in 1949 from Yeshiva University. He received his M.A. in 1950 and Ph.D. in 1960 from Columbia University.

Selected publications