Sound Symbolism in Basic Vocabulary

被引：38
|
作者：
Wichmann, Soren [1 ,2 ]
Holman, Eric W. [3 ]
Brown, Cecil H. [4 ]
机构：
[1] Max Planck Inst Evolutionary Anthropol, Dept Linguist, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
[2] Leiden Univ, Fac Archaeol, NL-2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
[3] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Psychol, Los Angeles, CA 90024 USA
[4] No Illinois Univ, Dept Anthropol, De Kalb, IL 60115 USA
来源：
ENTROPY | 2010年 / 12卷 / 04期
关键词：
linguistics; language evolution; sound symbolism; Automated Similarity Judgment Program;
D O I：
10.3390/e12040844
中图分类号：
O4 [物理学];
学科分类号：
0702 ;
摘要：
The relationship between meanings of words and their sound shapes is to a large extent arbitrary, but it is well known that languages exhibit sound symbolism effects violating arbitrariness. Evidence for sound symbolism is typically anecdotal, however. Here we present a systematic approach. Using a selection of basic vocabulary in nearly one half of the world's languages we find commonalities among sound shapes for words referring to same concepts. These are interpreted as due to sound symbolism. Studying the effects of sound symbolism cross-linguistically is of key importance for the understanding of language evolution.
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页码：844 / 858
页数：15
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