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Motivations for Sound Symbolism in Spatial Deixis : A Typological Study of 101 Languages

Johansson, Niklas LU and Zlatev, Jordan LU (2013) In The Public Journal of Semiotics 5(1).
Abstract
We investigated possible motivations for sound symbolism in spatial demonstratives within 101 areally and genetically diverse languages. Six different predictions were formulated on the basis of factors such as (a) semiotic ground (iconic, indexical or combined), (b) speaker-centered, hearer-centered or both and (c) applicable to vowels, consonants or both. Each one of these six predictions resulted in different expected scales of phonemes on the proximal-distal dimension. Languages which conformed to these scales were regarded as motivated (according to a particular prediction). Languages which opposed it were treated as reverse, and if neither was the case, as neutral. The results showed significant motivated/reverse and... (More)
We investigated possible motivations for sound symbolism in spatial demonstratives within 101 areally and genetically diverse languages. Six different predictions were formulated on the basis of factors such as (a) semiotic ground (iconic, indexical or combined), (b) speaker-centered, hearer-centered or both and (c) applicable to vowels, consonants or both. Each one of these six predictions resulted in different expected scales of phonemes on the proximal-distal dimension. Languages which conformed to these scales were regarded as motivated (according to a particular prediction). Languages which opposed it were treated as reverse, and if neither was the case, as neutral. The results showed significant motivated/reverse and motivated/neutral ratios only for the prediction based on vowel-frequency, motivated by a combination of iconic and indexical factors, and marginal support for the other predictions concerning vowels. The two predictions based on an assumed link between preverbal vocal pointing and demonstratives also found some, if weaker, support. The only prediction that was completely unsupported concerned the frequency of consonants. The conclusions are that a number of factors combine to motivate sound symbolism in spatial deixis, which appears to involve vowels more than consonants. (Less)
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published
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The Public Journal of Semiotics
volume
5
issue
1
publisher
Open Semiotics Resource Center
ISSN
1918-9907
project
BA and MA projects
language
English
LU publication?
yes
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The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Cognitive Semiotics (015030003), Linguistics and Phonetics (015010003)
id
83856519-d318-455c-8182-33e70f925bd7 (old id 8165399)
alternative location
http://journals.lub.lu.se/ojs/index.php/pjos/article/view/9668/8249
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:12:30
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:51:31
@article{83856519-d318-455c-8182-33e70f925bd7,
  abstract     = {{We investigated possible motivations for sound symbolism in spatial demonstratives within 101 areally and genetically diverse languages. Six different predictions were formulated on the basis of factors such as (a) semiotic ground (iconic, indexical or combined), (b) speaker-centered, hearer-centered or both and (c) applicable to vowels, consonants or both. Each one of these six predictions resulted in different expected scales of phonemes on the proximal-distal dimension. Languages which conformed to these scales were regarded as motivated (according to a particular prediction). Languages which opposed it were treated as reverse, and if neither was the case, as neutral. The results showed significant motivated/reverse and motivated/neutral ratios only for the prediction based on vowel-frequency, motivated by a combination of iconic and indexical factors, and marginal support for the other predictions concerning vowels. The two predictions based on an assumed link between preverbal vocal pointing and demonstratives also found some, if weaker, support. The only prediction that was completely unsupported concerned the frequency of consonants. The conclusions are that a number of factors combine to motivate sound symbolism in spatial deixis, which appears to involve vowels more than consonants.}},
  author       = {{Johansson, Niklas and Zlatev, Jordan}},
  issn         = {{1918-9907}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Open Semiotics Resource Center}},
  series       = {{The Public Journal of Semiotics}},
  title        = {{Motivations for Sound Symbolism in Spatial Deixis : A Typological Study of 101 Languages}},
  url          = {{http://journals.lub.lu.se/ojs/index.php/pjos/article/view/9668/8249}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}