Sound–meaning association biases evidenced across thousands of languages
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences • Vol/Iss. 113(39) • National Academy of Sciences • Washington, D.C • Published In • Pages: 10818-10823 •
By Blasi, Damian E., Wichmann, Søren, Hammarström, Harald, Stadler, Peter F., Christiansen, Morten H.
Hypothesis
Many basic vocabulary items will be associated with specific sounds across world languages.
Note
74 sound-meaning associations ("signals") were detected. Prominent associations include "small" and i, "full" and p or b, "tongue" and l, "nose" and n.
| Test Name | Support | Significance | Coefficient | Tail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN | Supported | UNKNOWN | UNKNOWN | UNKNOWN |
| Variable Name | Variable Type | OCM Term(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Vocabulary Meaning(s) | Association | Vocabulary, Semantics |
| Basic Vocabulary Sound(s) | Association | Vocabulary, Phonology |