Synesthetic Sound Symbolism Sound Symbolism Found in Play Songs
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Table 4.8 Phonesthemic Sounds and Their Meaning of Conventional Sound Symbolic Words in Play Songs
No. Sound
Symbolism Category
Phonesthemic Sound
Meaning Frequency
Example
1.
Conventional b-
dull impact 2
belly kr-
slow movement 2
creep noisy impact
2 crow
fl- phenomena of
movement 2
flick movement in air
1 fly
2 dimensional 1
flat gr-
sudden, rough seize
1 grab
n- 3 dimensional
1 knot
sn- creep
1 snail
breath-noise 1
snuff sp-
cylindrical 1
spin sp-t
rush of liquid 1
spout st-
1 dimensional 1
stick tr-
liquid 1
trickle tw-
twisting motion 2
twirl -
ɪŋk eye movement
1 wink
ŋkəl small lines or
folds 1
wrinkle
Table 4.8 contains thirteen phonesthemic sounds which appeared in 22 sound symbolic words of conventional category only. The phonestemic sound fl-
owned the most meanings, namely to refer to the phenomena of movement such as flick Bolinger, 1950, as cited in Abelin , 1999, p. 32, movement in the air
such as fly Bloomfield, 1933, as cited in Abelin, 1999, p. 32, and two- dimensional level such as flat Rhodes, 1994, as cited in Abelin, 1999, p. 32. The
function of each conventional sound symbolic word in Table 4.8 is presented in Appendix G.
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Table 4.9 Phonesthemic Sounds and Their Meaning of Sound Symbolic Words of Combined Categories in Play Songs
No. Sound
Symbolism Category
Phonesthemic Sound
Meaning Frequency
Word Example
1.
Conventional Imitative
b- abrupt, loud onset
1 bark
dull impact 2
bounce -
ɪŋk eye movement
1 blink
t ʃ-
short 1
chirp kl-
abrupt onset 2
clap kr-
noisy impact 1
croak fl-
phenomena of movement
1 flap
movement in air 1
flutter gr-
low, guttural sound
2 growl
p- abrupt onset
1 pop
- ɛt
particled movement
1 rattle
r- irregular onset
1 roar
sn- quick separation
or movement 1
snap -
ɛš violent movement
1 splash
sw- to and fro
movement 3
sway -omp
clumsy 1
thump w-
back and forth 3
wag
2.
Conventional Synesthetic
i diminutive
1 itsy bitsy
The phonesthemic sounds displayed in Table 4.9 were three words more than the sounds presented in Table 4.8. Totally, there were sixteen phonesthemes
in 25 sound symbolic words of combined category. In detail, there were 24 conventional-imitative sound symbolic words containing fifteen phonesthemic
sounds, whereas only one conventional-synesthetic sound symbolic word which contains one phonesthemes, namely diminutives Bolinger, 1950, as cited in