Didier Demolin (Yoseki 1953) obtained his PhD at the Université libre de Bruxelles where he became professor of linguistics and ethnomusicology. He was professor at the universities of Aix-en-Provence (1996-1999), Sao Paulo (2003-2010), Grenoble (2010-2014) and from 2014 at the Sorbonne-nouvelle until his retirement in 2022. He was a member of the IPA (International Phonetic Association) council (2003-2011) and Director of the ILPGA (Institut de Linguistique et Phonétique Générales et Appliquées) at the University Sorbonne-nouvelle (2017-2021). He is a member of the Academia Europaea.
His scientific expertise is focused on the development of experimental methods in phonetics (In the laboratory and in the field), the sounds of African and South American languages, the evolution of speech and language, comparative aspects of primate vocalizations and in ethnomusicological studies of the Mangbetu and of the Ituri Pygmies in the DR of Congo.
Key publications
Demolin, D. (1993). Les rêveurs de la forêt. Polyphonies des pygmées Efe de l’Ituri. In Cahiers des Musiques Traditionnelles 6. 139-151. + CD Chants de l’orée de la forêt. Polyphonies des pygmées Efe. Fonti Musicali, fmd 185 & CD Obe. Musique des Pygmées Efe et des Lese. Colophon, 140.
Demolin, D. (2002). The search for primitives in phonology and the explanation of sound patterns: the contribution of fieldwork studies. In C. Gussenhoven and N. Warner (eds.), Papers in Laboratory Phonology 7. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin, 355-434.
Demolin, D. (2010). Experimental Phonetics in Sub-Saharan languages. In: Boë, L-J., Cathiard, M-A. & Schwartz, J-L. (Eds.) De Théodore Rousset à John Ohala: 100 ans de phonétique expérimentale. Lyon: Ecole Normale Supérieure. 211-242.
Storto, L. & Demolin, D. (2012). The phonetics and phonology of South American languages. In L. Campbell & V. Grondona (Eds.) The Indigenous Languages of South America. A comprehensive Guide. De Gruyter Mouton. Berlin/Boston. 331-390.
Demolin, D. (2015). Insights from the field. In M. Redford (ed.). Handbook of speech production. Oxford. Wiley Blackwell. 477-504.