Chapter published in:
Operationalizing IconicityEdited by Pamela Perniss, Olga Fischer and Christina Ljungberg
[Iconicity in Language and Literature 17] 2020
► pp. 4–19
Modality-specificity of iconicity
The case of motion ideophones in Japanese
Kimi Akita | Nagoya University
This study examines the semantic variety and specificity
of Japanese ideophones for spatial motion events to illustrate the
modality-specificity of iconicity. As verbal icons, motion
ideophones tend to depict dynamic (e.g., auditory, spatio-temporal)
aspects of motion events. Suprasegmental features that elaborate
ideophonic depiction also exhibit this tendency. In contrast, manual
icons, such as iconic gestures and sign language, are more
expressive of visual information, both dynamic and static. Motion
events, which involve various concepts, allow us to observe this
semiotic contrast clearly and reinforce the modality-specific view
of iconicity.
Published online: 13 May 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/ill.17.01aki
https://doi.org/10.1075/ill.17.01aki
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