Chapter published in:
The Language of Food in Japanese: Cognitive perspectives and beyondEdited by Kiyoko Toratani
[Converging Evidence in Language and Communication Research 25] 2022
► pp. 79–110
Chapter 3The sound-symbolic effects of consonants on food texture
An experimental study of snack names in Japanese
Gakuji Kumagai | Kansai University
Ryoko Uno | Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Kazuko Shinohara | Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
This study explores the sound-symbolic effects of Japanese consonants on image of food textures. Our experiment tested whether voiced vs. voiceless plosives, at various places of articulation, could affect participants’ image of the hardness of a snack. The results revealed that both voicing and place of articulation had effects and that voicing had a stronger effect. Our results support the explanation of sound symbolism based on embodied motivation, as discussed in Cognitive Linguistics. Regarding the voicing of obstruents, the acoustic account cannot explain our results, while the articulatory and the lexical accounts are compatible with them. Regarding the place of articulation, all three accounts can explain our results. These findings can provide insights for food product marketing and related fields.
Keywords: voicing in plosives, obstruents, place of articulation, hardness, experimental approach, phonetics, embodiment
Article outline
- 1.Introduction: Sound-symbolic phenomena in the language of Japanese food
- 1.1Background and research focus
- 1.2Research history of sound symbolism
- 1.3Sound symbolism in snack names
- 2.Experiment
- 2.1Hypotheses tested
- 2.2Method
- 2.2.1Materials
- 2.2.2Participants
- 2.2.3Procedure
- 2.3Results
- 3.Discussion
- 3.1Comparison of the factors influencing the image of hardness of food
- 3.2Motivations for sound-symbolic associations
- 3.2.1Motivations for sound symbolism: Acoustic, articulatory, and lexical explanations
- 3.2.2Motivations for the sound-symbolic effect of voicing
- 3.2.3Motivations for the sound-symbolic effect of place of articulation
- 4.Conclusions and implications
- 4.1Conclusions
- 4.2Implications for further studies
-
Acknowledgements -
Notes -
References
Published online: 09 February 2022
https://doi.org/10.1075/celcr.25.03kum
https://doi.org/10.1075/celcr.25.03kum
References
Ahlner, F., & Zlatev, J.
Akita, K.
(2009) A grammar of sound-symbolic words in Japanese: Theoretical approaches to iconic and lexical properties of mimetics (unpublished doctoral dissertation). Kobe University, Japan. Retrieved from http://www.lib.kobeu.ac.jp/infolib/meta_pub/G0000003kernel_D1004724
Berlin, B.
Blasi, D. E., Wichmann, S., Hammarström, H., Stadler, P. F., & Christianson, M. H.
Bolts, M. G., Mangigian, G. M., & Allen, M. B.
Brown, R., & Ford, M.
Cassidy, K. W., Kelly, M. H., & Sharoni, L. J.
Cutler, A., McQueen, J., & Robinson, K.
Delattre, P. C., Liberman, A. M., & Cooper, F. S.
D’Onofrio, A.
Dingemanse, M., Blasi, D. E., Lupyan, G., Christianson, M. H., & Monaghan, P.
Freedman, J. L., & Landauer, T. K.
Funakubo, K., Kobayashi, F., Uno, R., Shinohara, K., & Odake, S.
(2016) Gaisoo pakkeeji-ni okeru shokkan-hyoogen “karit”-to kisshokuji shokkan-hyoogen-no icchisei [Correspondence between texture expressions while eating food and the word karit on the package]. Paper presented at Kanto Branch, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry, Tokyo: Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University.
Hawkins, J. A., & Cutler, A.
Hinton, L., Nichols, J., & Ohala, J.
Hockett, C.
Hosokawa, Y., Atsumi, N., Uno, R., & Shinohara, K.
(2018) Evil or not? Sound symbolism in Pokémon and Disney character names. Poster session presented at the 1st Conference on Pokémonastics, Keio University, Japan.
Imai, M., & Kita, S.
Irwin, F. W., & Newland, E.
Janda, L. A.
Jespersen, O.
Johnson, M.
Jurafsky, D.
Kawahara, S.
Kawahara, S., Isobe, M., Kobayashi, Y., Monou, T., & Okabe, R.
Kawahara, S., Noto, A., & Kumagai, G.
Kawahara, S., & Kumagai, G.
Kawahara, S., Godoy, M. C., & Kumagai, G.
Kawahara, S., & Shinohara, K.
(2008) A cross-linguistic study of sound symbolism: A case of voicing. Paper presented at International Conference on Language, Cognition, and Communication, Brighton University, UK.
Kawahara, S., Shinohara, K., & Grady, J.
Kawahara, S., Shinohara, K., & Uchimoto, Y.
Klink, R. R.
Köhler, W.
Kumagai, G.
Kumagai, G., & Kawahara, S.
Lakoff, G.
Langacker, R. W.
Levin, G., Liberman, Z., Blonk, J., & La Barbara, J.
(2003)
Messa di voce: an audiovisual performance and installation for voice and interactive media. Retrieved from http://tmema.org/messa/messa.html#background
Lindauer, S. M.
Lockwood, G., & Dingemanse, M.
Malkile, Y.
Murdock, G. P.
Nobile, L.
Nooteboom, S. G.
Ohala, J.
Osgood, C. E., Suci, G., & Tannenbaum, P.
Parise, C. V. & Spence, C.
Perniss, P., Thompson, R. L., & Vigliocco, G.
Perniss, P., & Vigliocco, G.
Perry, L. K., Perlman, M., Winter, B., Massaro, D. W., & Lupyan, G.
Peterson, R. A., & Ross, I.
Ramachandran, V. S., & Hubbard, E. M.
Reilly, J., Biun, D., Cowles, W., & Peelle, J.
Sato, Y.
(2011) Shikisai-meido-to shiin-no yuuseisei-ni mirareru onshouchouteki kankei [Sound symbolic relation in brightness in color and voicing in consonants] (unpublished master’s thesis). Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan.
Shih, S. S., Ackerman, J., Hermalin, N., Inkelas, S., & Kavitskaya, D.
Shinohara, K., & Kawahara, S.
(2009) Onshoutyou-no gengokan hikaku: yuuseisei-no imeeji-ni kansuru jikken kenkyuu [A cross-linguistic study of sound symbolism: images evoked by voicing]. Paper presented at the 26th Meeting of Japanese Cognitive Science Society. Keio University, Japan.
Shinohara, K., Yamauchi, N., Kawahara, S., & Tanaka, H.
Sidhu, D. D., & Pexman, P. M.
Slater, A. S., & Feinman, S.
Spence, C.
Stevens, K., & Blumstein, S.
Tessier, A.-M.
(2010) Short, but not sweet: Markedness preferences and reversals in English hypocoristics. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Canadian Linguistic Association, Montreal, Concordia University.
Tomasello, M.
Uemura, Y.
Ultan, R.
Uno, R., Shinohara, K., Hosokawa, Y., Atsumi, N., Kumagai, G., & Kawahara, S.
Whissell, C.
Wright, S., & Hay, J.
Wright, S., Hay, J., & Tessa, B.
Yorkston, E., & Menon, G.
Yoshida, W., & Shinohara, K.
(2009) Onsee-sosee ni yoru imeeji kanki [Evoking of images by phonetic features]. Paper presented at the 26th Japanese Cognitive Science Conference, Kanagawa: Keio University, SFC.