Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Evidence to the Ubiquity of Sound Symbolism - Reviewing Recent Experimental Studies on Crossmodal Sound-meaning Association

Yueshan YouSchool of Foreign Studies, Nankai University, Tianjin, China*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Sound symbolism, the study of the direct relationship between sound and meaning, challenges the traditional notion of the arbitrariness of linguistic symbols. This paper reviews recent experimental research, particularly studies utilizing nonce words, to explore the mechanisms and universality of sound-meaning associations and discuss the thematic and methodological innovations and restraints. Our synthetic review highlights the recently-discussed aspects including the robustness and ubiquity, the inner mechanism and potential undermining factors of the well-known bouba/kiki effect, suggesting that sound symbolism is deeply rooted in human cognition, although different methodological realizations may lead to contradicting findings. In light of the importance of sound symbolism in language evolution, acquisition, and use, this research underscores the crucial role of relevant bouba/kiki experiments as probe, which can offer a cross-linguistic perspective applicable to a wide range of languages and speakers.

Keywords: Sound symbolism; iconicity; sound-meaning correspondence; segmental feature; orthography
Published: May 23, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.23309
Volume: CHR Vol.69
pp. 54-60
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