Editing Phonetics (section)

===Antiquity===
The first known study of phonetics was undertaken by [[Sanskrit]] grammarians as early as the 6th century&nbsp;BCE.{{sfn|Caffrey|2017}} The Hindu scholar [[Pāṇini]] is among the most well known of these early investigators. His four-part grammar, written {{circa|350&nbsp;BCE}}, is influential in modern linguistics and still represents "the most complete generative grammar of any language yet written".{{sfn|Kiparsky|1993|p=2918}} His grammar formed the basis of modern linguistics and described several important phonetic principles, including voicing. This early account described resonance as being produced either by tone, when vocal folds are closed, or noise, when vocal folds are open. The phonetic principles in the grammar are considered "primitives" in that they are the basis for his theoretical analysis rather than the objects of theoretical analysis themselves, and the principles can be inferred from his system of phonology.{{sfn|Kiparsky|1993|pp=2922–3}}

The Sanskrit study of phonetics is called ''[[Shiksha]]'', which the 1st-millennium BCE [[Taittiriya Upanishad]] defines as follows:

''Om! We will explain the Shiksha.''<br>
''Sounds and accentuation, Quantity (of vowels) and the expression (of consonants),''<br>
''Balancing (Saman) and connection (of sounds), So much about the study of Shiksha.'' || 1 |

Taittiriya Upanishad 1.2, Shikshavalli, translated by Paul Deussen''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Deussen |first1=Paul |title=Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume I |year=1980 |publisher=Motilal Banarasidass |isbn=978-8120814684 |pages=222}}</ref>''.