抄録
We oto-rhino-laryngologists devote ourselves to the physiological or physical study of speech mainly as the natural scientists.
In the other hand, since speech is one of the most important means of human communication its meaning is raison d'etre.
The meaning of speech, the phonemic system, has come into existence as a promise in certain linguistic society during a long period, and it cannot be a natural scientific phenomenon essentially. Therefore, the truths in certain speech belonging to a language which has a unique phonemic system are not always true in other speechs, and a phonemic system of a language itself changes gradually in process of history of the linguistic society. Besides, among a speech in an era there exist many regional differences represented as dialects, and also many minor differences which resulted during individual speech learning.
Even oto-rhino-laryngologists as natural scientists cannot neglect the above mentioned nonscientific factors either in case they are occupied in the physiological study on phonetic and articulatory mechanism or in the physical study on speech as a sound. Their final research aim will become obscure immediately if they neglect the above factor.
In conclusion, researchers of speech should have a vast viewpoint and a deep knoweldge concerning the ralated branches.
