Favorite Words as a Window onto the Aesthetic Function of Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-396
Author(s):  
Karla K. McGregor ◽  
Timothy Arbisi-Kelm ◽  
Bogi Perelmutter ◽  
Jacob Oleson
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
Consonant Clusters ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Aesthetic Appreciation ◽  
Aesthetic Form ◽  
Aesthetic Properties ◽  
Lower Valence ◽  
The Aesthetic

This article characterizes the aesthetic properties of English words. One thousand adult speakers of American English reported their favorite words and justified their selections. Each word was coded for phonological characteristics, valence, and frequency of occurrence and compared with words from a corpus of everyday English from Reader’s Digest. The participants’ stated reasons for their selections were categorized as utilitarian (meaning, use) or aesthetic (form). Compared to the word types in the Reader’s Digest corpus, the favorite words were longer and lower in frequency of occurrence. They were less likely to include a sonorant consonant but more likely to include a repeated consonant. Consonant clusters were sparser among the favorite words. The majority of people justified their favorite words on utilitarian grounds, suggesting some difficulty considering form apart from meaning. The best predictors of aesthetic justifications were lower valence, lower frequency, longer length, higher sonority, and a higher density of lax vowels. People value words for the work they do—the meanings they convey. Nevertheless, people can appreciate words as objects, and when they do, novelty and musicality are privileged. This study informs our understanding of the aesthetic function of language and situates that function into a broader consideration of aesthetic appreciation.

The Interactions of Function and Aesthetic Value in Artifacts

2019 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Stecker
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Aesthetic Appreciation ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Primary Function ◽  
Aesthetic Properties ◽  
The Aesthetic

In this paper, I ask: what is the role of function in appreciating artifacts? I will argue that several distinguishable functions are relevant to the aesthetic appreciation of artifacts, and sometimes more than one of these must be taken into account to adequately appreciate these objects. Second, I will claim that, while we can identify something we might call functional aesthetic value or functional beauty, the aesthetic properties that contribute to this value neither need to enhance the object’s performance of its primary function nor manifest that function. There are broader criteria for what properties are relevant to functional beauty. Finally, I suggest that the aesthetic appreciation of artifacts may contribute to a larger appreciative project: the understanding and evaluation of a way of life, or social or cultural practices in which the artifact plays a role.

Artifacts

2019 ◽  
pp. 138-154
Author(s):  
Robert Stecker
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Aesthetic Appreciation ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Primary Function ◽  
Aesthetic Properties ◽  
The Aesthetic

This chapter is about the aesthetics of everyday artifacts, in particular, on the role of an artifact’s function in aesthetically appreciating and evaluating it. First, I will argue that several distinguishable functions are relevant to the aesthetic appreciation of artifacts. Second, I will claim that, while we can identify something we might call functional aesthetic value or functional beauty, the aesthetic properties that contribute to this value neither need enhance the object’s performance of its primary function nor manifest that function. There are broader criteria for what properties are relevant to functional beauty. Finally, I suggest that the aesthetic appreciation of artifacts may contribute to a larger appreciative project: the understanding and evaluation of a way of life, or social, or cultural practices in which the artifact plays a role.

STUDY OF DECORATIVE VARIETY IN GORONTALO KARAWO FABRIC IN AESTHETIC AND SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS

ARTic ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 121-134
Author(s):  
Apsari Dj Hasan
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Aesthetic Theory ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Aesthetic Form ◽  
Decorative Motifs ◽  
Symbolic Meanings ◽  
The Aesthetic

This study aims to examine the decorative types of Gorontalo karawo fabrics in aesthetic and symbolic elements. Researchers want to know as made in the research design, aspects that are present in the decoration of fabrics in aesthetic and symbolic elements. This study uses a number of related theories to get results, and as a determinant, the authors use aesthetic theory, as well as historical approaches. With this theoretical basis, the author seeks to describe the aesthetic aspects and symbolic meanings that exist in Gorontalo karawo fabric. Through the data collection of the chosen motif and provide a classification of motives, the part is used as a reference for research material. The results showed that Gorontalo filigree had an aesthetic value consisting of unity formed from the overall decorative motifs displayed, complexity formed by complexity in the manufacturing process, and intensity of seriousness in the manufacturing process or the impression displayed on the filigree motif. The aesthetic form also reflects the diversity of meanings for communication, such as the symbol of a leader with his noble instincts, a symbol of cultural cooperation, which is worth maintaining, and ideas about nature conservation. This research proves that the decoration in Gorontalo filigree cloth (karawo) does not only act as a visual value, but also as a communication of cultural meanings and social status. Of all these distinctive motifs show a relationship between humans and humans and humans with nature. The influence of culture from the Philippines is also known to have a strong influence on the emergence of the Gorontalo filigree namely manila filigree.

Brief Analysis for the Aesthetic Form of Chinese Garden Art

2014 ◽  
Vol 584-586 ◽  
pp. 650-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bian Ling Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Development History ◽  
Artistic Conception ◽  
High Uniformity ◽  
Aesthetic Form ◽  
The World ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Aesthetic Forms

Chinese garden art has developed gradually along with the neutralization--lasting appeal--artistic conception trend till to the peak, meanwhile, those aesthetic forms can be existed synchronously with historical advancement, logic arrangement in parallel and correspondence as well as abundance and deepening of the interior connotation and exterior extension, which represent the high uniformity of the development history and logics of Chinese garden art. Nowadays, the landscape garden development is required to probe its root, explore its cultural soul, so as to base itself upon the garden industry all over the world. Additionally, the function of traditional aesthetic form will show the powerful functions, declare publicly the deep influence of modernized landscape garden development.

Laryngeal adjustments in the production of consonant clusters and geminates in American English

1981 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1615-1623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirohide Yoshioka ◽  
Anders Löfqvist ◽  
Hajime Hirose
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
Consonant Clusters

scholarly journals Badanie poczucia subiektywnego związanego z dzieleniem na sylaby wyrazów języka polskiego – podział wieloelementowych grup spółgłoskowych

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-214
Author(s):  
Daniel Śledziński
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Consonant Clusters ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Text Corpus

This paper presents the results of a preliminary investigation of subjective feelings related to the syllabification of Polish words written in orthographic form. The results are part of a wider study, and the data presented here are limited to polysegmental word-internal consonant clusters. In the author’s previous articles it was noted that some morphological boundaries are perceived as syllable boundaries – particularly boundaries between a prefix and a stem. The words that contain such boundaries were excluded from the investigation. The main goal was to verify whether the phonostatistical properties of consonant clusters influence subjective feelings related to syllabification. The investigated statistical proprieties concern the frequency of occurrence of consonant clusters, and of parts of them at the beginning of words, in the text corpus. Another goal was to verify whether the syllabification based on phonology differs from that based on subjective feelings.

scholarly journals English and Portuguese consonant clusters: contrasts and challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Madureira
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Brazilian Portuguese ◽  
Consonant Clusters ◽  
Front Vowel ◽  
Vowel Epenthesis ◽  
Speech Learning Model ◽  
Speech Learning

ABSTRACT Consonant clusters occur both in Portuguese and English. However, clusters are more productive in English than in Portuguese and there are sequences which are only found in English.This study focuses on the contrasts between American English and Brazilian Portuguese consonant clusters and on three strategies Brazilian learners tend to apply when producing them: adding the high front vowel (epenthesis) between the consonants in the clusters, discarding consonants, or introducing phonetic changes. The relevance of introducing English clusters to Brazilian learners of English is pointed out and discussed under the framework of the Speech Learning Model (SLM).

scholarly journals Development of painting in Maratha area

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 198-202
Author(s):  
Sushma Jain
Keyword(s):  
Madhya Pradesh ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Aesthetic Form ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
The Many

The painting tradition in the Maratha region dates back to prehistoric times. Human beings have left examples of paintings with a very careful reflex of behavior. In the primitive tendons of Madhya Pradesh, we are surprised today by the many linear signs of the human and the aesthetic form of the weapons, following the craving to be cultured and ornate on that barbar. मराठा क्षेत्र में चित्रकला परंपरा का प्रारंभ प्रागैतिहासिक काल से होता है। मानव ने बहुत ही प्रांरभ में व्यवहार की सजगता के साथ चित्रों के उदाहरण छोड़े हैं। मध्यप्रदेश की आदिम कंदराओं में हमें उस बर्बर पर सुसंस्कृत और सुअलंकृत होने की लालसा के अनुगामी मानव के रचे अनेक रेखीय चिन्ह तथा अस्त्र शस्त्रों के सौंदर्य प्रधान रूप आज हमंें आश्चर्य चकित करते है।1

Dam Epilogue: The Textual Person

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Crook
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Vantage Point ◽  
Knowledge Practices ◽  
Aesthetic Form ◽  
The Aesthetic

Angkaiyakmin notions of a person's efficacy circulating beyond themselves and combining with others is used in this chapter as a vantage point on anthropological interpretative artefacts, and the section argues that these contemporary aesthetics of anthropological knowledge-making produce interpretative forms after a particular understanding of subjectivity and personhood. The chapter specifically compares the capacities of Bolivip and anthropological knowledge-practices, and considers how each form of knowledge adheres to a powerful aesthetic that is taken for granted by the respective practitioners. Recognition and currency for artefacts – the capacity to animate analytic and social relations in others – is governed by exhibiting this demanding aesthetic form. The chapter then addresses the insights from Bolivip knowledge-practices to anthropological knowledge-practices: by adopting the vantage point of ‘the textual person’, the aesthetic principles through which anthropological knowledge is given form are outlined, and the means by which anthropologists circulate parts of themselves to others – their efficacy and ‘relations’ – are examined. The ‘textual person’ figure makes explicit the form of subjective relationality that informs anthropological interpretation.

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