Re: Aesthetic Language Sense

Boudewijn Rempt wrote:

> On Tue, 5 Oct 1999, Ed Heil wrote:
> > Here's another element of language aesthetics...  There are those
> > (e.g. http://www.conknet.com/~mmagnus/LetterPage.html ) who claim that
> > the sounds of all words -- not just onamotapoeic ones -- serve as
> > iconic symbols for the meanings of the words.
>
> Well... I'm getting quite wary of the word _all_, used in connection
> to language. Of course, there is iconicism in sound, with is why I'm
> not entirely happy with the Denden _kela_ for 'mouse'.
Yes, Magnus's claim is pretty extreme.  Still, it's rather
interesting to undertake her "experiment" which she claims will
convince any observer with an hour or two to kill that she is right.


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Ed doesn't know everything, but he hasn't figured that out yet.
Please break it to him gently.              edheil@postmark.net
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