Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects
In sound symbolism, a word's sound induces expectations about the nature of a salient aspect of the word's referent. Walker (2016a) proposed that cross-sensory correspondences can be the source of these expectations and the present study assessed three implications flowing from this propos...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Psychological Association
2019
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/771/ http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/771/1/Walker%20Peter%20Correspondences%20and%20Symbolism.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848801893080367104 |
|---|---|
| author | Walker, Peter * Regina, Parameswaren C |
| author_facet | Walker, Peter * Regina, Parameswaren C |
| author_sort | Walker, Peter * |
| building | SU Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | In sound symbolism, a word's sound induces expectations about the nature of a salient aspect of the word's referent. Walker (2016a) proposed that cross-sensory correspondences can be the source of these expectations and the present study assessed three implications flowing from this proposal. First, sound symbolism will embrace a wide range of referent features, including heaviness. Second, any feature of a word's sound able to symbolise one aspect of the word's referent will also be able to symbolise corresponding aspects of the referent (e.g., a sound feature symbolising visual pointiness will also symbolise lightness in weight). Third, sound symbolism will be independent of the sensory modality through which a word's referent is encoded (e.g., whether heaviness is felt or seen). Adults judged which of two contrasting novel words was most appropriate as a name for the heavier or lighter of two otherwise identical hidden novel objects they were holding in their hands. The alternative words contrasted in their vowels and/or consonants, one or both of which were known to symbolise visual pointiness. Though the plosive or continuant nature of the consonants did not influence the judged appropriateness of a word to symbolise the heaviness of its referent, back/open vowels, compared to front/close vowels, were judged to symbolise felt heaviness. The symbolic potential of back/open vowels to represent felt heaviness, predicted on the basis of their symbolism of visual roundedness, supports the proposal that cross-sensory correspondences contribute to sound symbolism |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T21:14:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | sunway-771 |
| institution | Sunway University |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T21:14:41Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | American Psychological Association |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | sunway-7712020-01-24T03:03:47Z http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/771/ Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects Walker, Peter * Regina, Parameswaren C P Philology. Linguistics In sound symbolism, a word's sound induces expectations about the nature of a salient aspect of the word's referent. Walker (2016a) proposed that cross-sensory correspondences can be the source of these expectations and the present study assessed three implications flowing from this proposal. First, sound symbolism will embrace a wide range of referent features, including heaviness. Second, any feature of a word's sound able to symbolise one aspect of the word's referent will also be able to symbolise corresponding aspects of the referent (e.g., a sound feature symbolising visual pointiness will also symbolise lightness in weight). Third, sound symbolism will be independent of the sensory modality through which a word's referent is encoded (e.g., whether heaviness is felt or seen). Adults judged which of two contrasting novel words was most appropriate as a name for the heavier or lighter of two otherwise identical hidden novel objects they were holding in their hands. The alternative words contrasted in their vowels and/or consonants, one or both of which were known to symbolise visual pointiness. Though the plosive or continuant nature of the consonants did not influence the judged appropriateness of a word to symbolise the heaviness of its referent, back/open vowels, compared to front/close vowels, were judged to symbolise felt heaviness. The symbolic potential of back/open vowels to represent felt heaviness, predicted on the basis of their symbolism of visual roundedness, supports the proposal that cross-sensory correspondences contribute to sound symbolism American Psychological Association 2019-02 Article PeerReviewed text en http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/771/1/Walker%20Peter%20Correspondences%20and%20Symbolism.pdf Walker, Peter * and Regina, Parameswaren C (2019) Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 45 (2). pp. 246-252. ISSN 0022-1015 (In Press) |
| spellingShingle | P Philology. Linguistics Walker, Peter * Regina, Parameswaren C Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects |
| title | Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects |
| title_full | Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects |
| title_fullStr | Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects |
| title_short | Cross-sensory correspondences in language: Vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects |
| title_sort | cross-sensory correspondences in language: vowel sounds can symbolise the felt heaviness of objects |
| topic | P Philology. Linguistics |
| url | http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/771/ http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/771/1/Walker%20Peter%20Correspondences%20and%20Symbolism.pdf |