Sound Symbolism Sign Video
No video uploaded yet.
Definition
Certain sounds occur in words not by virtue of being directly imitative of some sound but rather simply by being evocative of a particular meaning. That is, these words, or parts of these words, more abstractly suggest some physical characteristics by the way they sound.
Source: Language Files, eleventh edition, edited by Vedrana Mihalicek and Christin Wilson
Example
Teeny, petite, and wee suggest smallness both in sound and in meaning.
Other Submissions
BROWSE
All
> Science
> Social Science
> Linguistics
> Sound Symbolism
* video needed
click here to zoom in