Sound symbolism

Sound symbolism or phonosemantics is an obscure branch of linguistics and refers to the idea that vocal sounds have meaning. An important concept for understanding this idea is phoneme: phonemes are written between slashes like this /b/.

External links

• Margaret Magnus's Phonosemantics Website
• Sound Symbolism Robin Allott.
• The Influence of Phonesthesia on the English Language - an alternative appraoch to phonosemantics.
• Cratylus Dialogue
• Reference and symbol in Plato's Cratylus and kuukai's Shojijissogi Philosophy East and West Vol. 32:4 (October 1982)
• BBC Reith Lectures 2003 - see especially: Lecture 4: Purple Numbers and Sharp Cheese
• www.fonosemantica.it
• An example of phonosemantics in advertising
• Oral Metaphor Construct Asa M. Stepak
• Induced generic sound symbolism for the blind: "seeing with sound"
• Conversational Grunts.