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Madeline Gilbert

Woman standing in park
Blurred image of the arch used as background for stylistic purposes.
Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics

My research interests lie in phonetics and phonology.  More specifically, my research focuses on laboratory phonology, phonological representations, and sociophonetic variability.  Disentangling surface forms (the sounds we produce) from abstract forms (how they are represented in the brain) has always been a primary goal for phonological theories, but finding appropriate methods to test these questions is challenging.  I use a combination of phonological phonetic, and perception data to better understand what abstract representations of sound consist of, how these representations are produced acoustically, and how speakers move between different levels of representation.  I am also interested in how acoustic variability in pronunciation both reflects and contributes to forming abstract sound categories.  I have worked primarily with varieties of Spanish (Sevillian, Uruguayan) and Brazilian Portuguese.

For my CV and a full list of my past and ongoing research, please see my personal website.

Research Interests:
  • Phonetics and phonology
  • Laboratory phonology (production and perception)
  • Sociolinguistic variability
  • Acoustics
  • Metathesis and other phonological processes
Selected Publications:

2023.  Gilbert, M. Testing for underlying representations: Segments and clusters in Sevillian Spanish.  Natural Language & Linguistic Theory 42(2), 493-531.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-023-09575-4 (PDF view-only, Springer)

2023.  Gilbert, M.  Conflicting standards and variability: Spirantization in two varieties of Uruguayan Spanish.  Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 16(2), 397-446. https://doi.org/10.1515/shll-2023-2015 (Lingbuzz preprint)

2021.  Gilbert, M. Acoustic evidence for affix classes: A case study of Brazilian Portuguese. Glossa: A Journal of General Linguistics 6(1), 1-38. http://doi.org/10.5334/gjgl.1045

Education:

PhD in Linguistics, New York University (2022)

BA in Spanish, Middlebury College (2014), with minors in Italian and Linguistics

Articles Featuring Madeline Gilbert

Twelve current and former UGA ROML linguists recently presented their research at the Hispanic Linguistics Symposium, hosted in Omaha, Nebraska October 17-19, 2024…

Join us in welcoming to UGA Assistant Professor Madeline Gilbert, specialist in phonetics and phonology. Dr. Gilbert's research focuses on laboratory phonology, phonological representations, and sociophonetic variability. Before coming to Athens, she…

Events featuring Rachel Floyd, Madeline Gilbert, Cris Lira, Nicolás Lucero
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Romance Languages Graduate Students, 

Please join us for a workshop on professional development and job search navigation featuring Dr. Rachel Floyd, Dr. Maddie Gilbert, Dr. Cris Lira, and Dr. Nicolás Lucero. 

We hope to see you there!

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