scholarly journals Do Sibilants Fly? Evidence from a Sound Symbolic Pattern in Pokémon Names

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 386-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeto Kawahara ◽  
Mahayana C. Godoy ◽  
Gakuji Kumagai
Keyword(s):  
Sound Symbolism ◽  
Research Paradigm ◽  
Current Experiment ◽  
Normal Type ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Symbolic Value

AbstractAncient writers, including Socrates and the Upanishads, argued that sibilants are associated with the notions of wind, air and sky. From modern perspectives, these statements can be understood as an assertion about sound symbolism, i.e., systematic connections between sounds and meanings. Inspired by these writers, this article reports on an experiment that tests a sound symbolic value of sibilants. The experiment is a case study situated within the Pokémonastics research paradigm, in which the researchers explore the sound symbolic patterns in natural languages using Pokémon names. The current experiment shows that when presented with pairs of a flying-type Pokémon character and a normal-type Pokémon character, Japanese speakers are more likely to associate the flying-type Pokémons with names that contain sibilants than those names that do not contain sibilants. As was pointed out by Socrates, the sound symbolic connection identified in the experiment is likely to be grounded in the articulatory properties of sibilants – the large amount of oral airflow that accompanies the production of sibilants. Various implications of the current experiment for the sound symbolism research are discussed throughout the article.

Expressing evolution in Pokémon names: Experimental explorations

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeto Kawahara ◽  
Gakuji Kumagai
Keyword(s):  
Sound Symbolism ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Phonological Length ◽  
The Way

AbstractThere has been a growing interest in sound symbolic patterns in natural languages, in which some sounds are associated with particular meanings. Previous corpus-based research identified some specific sound symbolic relationships in Pokémon naming patterns in Japanese (Kawahara et al. 2018b). One of the main findings was that the names of Pokémon characters are more likely to contain voiced obstruents, and are longer in terms of mora count, when the Pokémon characters undergo evolution (e.g.nyoromo→nyorozo; poppo→pijotto). The current study reports three experiments that test whether (i) these patterns are productive in the minds of general Japanese speakers, and whether (ii) the same tendency holds with English speakers. The results show that the effect of phonological length was clearly observed both with Japanese and English speakers; the effects of voiced obstruents were observed clearly with Japanese speakers, but less clearly with English speakers. Along the way, we address other general issues related to sound symbolism: (iii) to what extent the sound symbolic effects identified in Kawahara et al. (2018b) rely on familiarity with Pokémon, and (iv) whether word-initial segments invoke stronger images than word-internal segments. In addition to its research value, we emphasize that this general project on Pokémon names can be useful for undergraduate phonetics education.

scholarly journals A wug-shaped curve in sound symbolism: the case of Japanese Pokémon names

Phonology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-418
Author(s):  
Shigeto Kawahara
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Sound Symbolism ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Evolution Status ◽  
Stochastic Optimality

An experiment showed that Japanese speakers’ judgement of Pokémons’ evolution status on the basis of nonce names is affected both by mora count and by the presence of a voiced obstruent. The effects of mora count are a case of counting cumulativity, and the interaction between the two factors a case of ganging-up cumulativity. Together, the patterns result in what Hayes (2020) calls ‘wug-shaped curves’, a quantitative signature predicted by MaxEnt. I show in this paper that the experimental results can indeed be successfully modelled with MaxEnt, and also that Stochastic Optimality Theory faces an interesting set of challenges. The study was inspired by a proposal made within formal phonology, and reveals important previously understudied aspects of sound symbolism. In addition, it demonstrates how cumulativity is manifested in linguistic patterns. The work here shows that formal phonology and research on sound symbolism can be mutually beneficial.

Pedestals as ‘altars’ in Roman Asia Minor

2005 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 127-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.J. Coulton
Keyword(s):  
Roman Period ◽  
Asia Minor ◽  
Normal Type ◽  
Symbolic Value

AbstractThe Greek word bomos usually means ‘altar’, but in inscriptions of the Roman period it sometimes refers to statue bases and other forms of support, where the meaning ‘altar’ is not appropriate. Many scholars believe that in addition to its normal meaning of cult or votive altar and (by extension) funerary altar, bomos could also mean a pedestal, socle or platform in general. This paper examines the use of the term bomos in Roman Asia Minor for statue bases, for pedestals for sarcophagi, ash chests and columns, and for other structures which are not altars, concentrating particularly on their shapes. It concludes that in all these cases the element called bomos had the shape of a normal type of altar, and that in many cases (but not all) it also carried some of the symbolic value of an altar.

How to express evolution in English Pokémon names

Linguistics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeto Kawahara ◽  
Jeff Moore
Keyword(s):  
Sound Symbolism ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Research Paradigm ◽  
Lower Segment ◽  
Systematic Relationships

Abstract This paper contributes to the studies of sound symbolism, systematic relationships between sounds and meanings. Specifically, we build on a series of studies conducted within a research paradigm called “Pokémonastics,” which uses the Pokémon universe to explore sound symbolic patterns. Inspired by a study of existing English Pokémon names, two experiments were conducted in which English speakers were provided with pairs of pre-evolution and post-evolution Pokémon characters, the latter of which were larger. The participants were given two name choices whose members were systematically different in some phonological properties. The results show the following sound symbolic patterns to be productive: (1) names with higher segment counts are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names with lower segment counts, (2) names containing [a] are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names containing [i], (3) names containing [u] are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names containing [i], and (4) names containing coronal consonants are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names containing labial consonants. Overall, the current results suggest that phonological considerations come into play when English speakers name new fictional creatures. Implications of the current results for the theories of sound symbolism are discussed throughout the paper.

scholarly journals Emotional Intelligence a Critical Factor in Organizational Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 10-39
Author(s):  
Neeta Baporikar
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Research Paradigm ◽  
Interpretative Research

The objective of this study is to understand how employee EI is a critical factor for improved organizational performance. Adopting a qualitative approach with a case study research design, a sample of 40 employees was selected from the organization; data collection was done through a questionnaire after pilot testing. An analysis is done using SPSS, within an interpretative research paradigm using thematic analyses. Findings reflect that understanding and knowledge on EI and its influence on the performance may add value to the organization as employees become aware of the best practices and contribute better for organizational performance. Further, it was also noted that EI is a significant predictor of job and organizational performance only if it is advocated and spearheaded through individual performance classified into the task and contextual performance.

Memory, Amnesia, and Dissociative Identity Disorder

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 417-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Eich ◽  
Dawn Macaulay ◽  
Richard J. Loewenstein ◽  
Patrice H. Dihle
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Dissociative Identity Disorder ◽  
Multiple Personality Disorder ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Current Experiment ◽  
Multiple Personality ◽  
Word Stem Completion ◽  
Transfer Of Information ◽  
Test Priming

Virtually all patients with dissociative identity (or multiple personality) disorder manifest interpersonality amnesia, whereby events experienced by a particular personality state or identity are retrievable by that same identity but not by a different one Though considered a hallmark of dissociative identity disorder (DID), interpersonality amnesia has to date attracted little empirical attention. Further, the few studies on the topic typically include just 1 DID patient and a single index of retention In contrast the current experiment involved 9 DID patients and several measures of either explicit or implicit memory Replicating and extending the single-case study of Nissen, Ross, Willingham, MacKenzie, and Schacter (1988), the present results revealed that implicit testing is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for demonstrating transfer of information from one identity to another Specifically, whereas priming in word-stem completion occurred only if the same personality state performed at both study and at test, priming in picture-fragment completion was as robust between different identities as it was within the same identity Discussion focuses on prospects for future research aimed at understanding the nature and scope of interpersonality amnesia

Patterns and scales of expressive palatalization: Experimental evidence from Japanese

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexei Kochetov ◽  
John Alderete
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Sound Symbolism ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
The Cross

This article argues for the existence of expressive palatalization (E-Pal) – a phonologically unmotivated process that applies in sound symbolism, diminutive constructions, and babytalk registers. It is proposed that E-Pal is grounded in iconic sound-meaning associations exploiting acoustic properties of palatalized consonants and thus is inherently different from regular phonological palatalization (P-Pal). A cross-linguistic survey of patterns of E-Pal in 37 languages shows that it exhibits a set of properties different from P-Pal. The case study focuses on patterns of palatalization in Japanese mimetic vocabulary and babytalk. Two experiments testing native speaker intuitions of these patterns revealed that both patterns exhibit place and manner asymmetries typical of cross-linguistic patterns of E-Pal. The cross-linguistic survey, the two experiments, and analysis of the origins and structural differences of E-Pal and P-Pal provide strong empirical and theoretical motivation to distinguish the two.

scholarly journals Conceptual Complexity and the Evolution of the Lexicon

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Language Evolution ◽  
Cognitive Systems ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Language Structure ◽  
Corpus Studies ◽  
Parsimonious Explanation

Natural languages are filled with regularities. Where do these regularities come from? A parsimonious explanation is that these regularities emerge as a consequence of pressures within the broader context in which language is used: Communication among many cognitive systems. In this dissertation, I consider one particular regularity as a case study in how the dynamics of language use might shape language structure. Specifically, I focus on a bias in natural language to map long words on to conceptually complex meanings and short words on to conceptually simple meanings, or a complexity bias. Across a series of experimental and corpus studies, I explore whether languages and their speakers have a complexity bias, what conceptual complexity is, and what pressures might have lead to this bias over the course of language evolution. In the final chapter, I consider a broader range of linguistic phenomena and examine how aspects of language use might influence these structures.

scholarly journals «Descubrir» y «descubrirse» en el románico: un ejemplo catalán de patrimonio de la humanidad

CEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 108-126
Author(s):  
Maria Garganté Llanes
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
The World ◽  
National Movements ◽  
Romanesque Art ◽  
Symbolic Value ◽  
The 19Th Century

The aim of this work is to present a case study on the identification between Romanesque art and national identity in Catalonia, an association that emerged in the framework of the emergence of national movements at the end of the 19th century, but that was recovered a century later when the process for the declaration of the Romanesque churches of the Boí Valley as a world heritage site by UNESCO began. The identification of the Romanesque with a «national art» is reinforced in this case because it is a Romanesque art located in the heart of the Pyrenees, with the strong symbolic value of the mountain as the «cradle» of the Catalan nation. We will analyse the World Heritage process and its effects in the context of a small territory, with a scarce population and dependent to a great extent on the seasonality of tourism.

Generating Window of Sign Languages on ITU J.200-Based Middlewares

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-40
Author(s):  
Felipe Lacet Silva Ferreira ◽  
Tiago Maritan Ugulino de Araújo ◽  
Felipe Hermínio Lemos ◽  
Gutenberg Pessoa Botelho Neto ◽  
José Ivan Bezerra Vilarouca Filho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Original Video ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Operational Costs ◽  
Language Content ◽  
Video Program

Sign languages are natural languages used by the deaf to communicate. Currently, the use of sign language on TV is still limited to a window with a sign language interpreter showed into the original video program. This approach has some problems, such as high operational costs, need for a full-time interpreter. Some works in the scientific literature propose solutions for this problem, but there are some gaps to be addressed. In this paper, the authors propose a solution to provide support for sign language in middlewares compatible with ITU J.200 specification. The solution allows sign language content to be signed by 3D-Avatars when human interpreters are not available. To provide a case study for the proposed solution, they implemented a prototype of it using Ginga, the Brazilian DTV middleware, compliant with ITU J.200. Some tests with Brazilian deaf were also performed to evaluate the proposal.

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