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"Big" Sounds Bigger in More Widely Spoken Languages
Shiri Lev-Ari1, Ivet Kancheva1, Louise Marston1
1Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London.
Cognitive Science
|November 10, 2021
Summary
Languages spoken by larger communities use more sound symbolism to overcome communication barriers. This study found that widely spoken languages are more sound symbolic, aiding comprehension.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Psychology
- Sociolinguistics
Background:
- Larger communities encounter greater communication barriers.
- Sound symbolism, where sounds mimic meanings, may help overcome these barriers.
- The relationship between community size and sound symbolism in language is under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if widely spoken languages exhibit greater sound symbolism than less common languages.
- To determine if sound symbolism facilitates communication in larger linguistic communities.
- To explore potential differences in sound symbolic patterns based on community size.
Main Methods:
- Participants listened to recordings of 'big' and 'small' in various languages.
- Participants guessed the meanings of words from widely spoken and less common languages.
- Linguistic analysis of sound symbolic patterns in different community-sized languages.
Main Results:
- Higher accuracy in guessing meanings for words from widely spoken languages.
- Evidence suggests widely spoken languages incorporate more sound symbolism.
- Preliminary findings indicate distinct sound symbolic patterns in languages of varying community sizes.
Conclusions:
- Community size influences linguistic evolution and the use of sound symbolism.
- Widely spoken languages may leverage sound symbolism as a tool to enhance communication effectiveness.
- Sound symbolism plays a significant role in adapting languages to the needs of larger populations.
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