Re: Aesthetic Language Sense

Charles wrote:

> Ed Heil wrote:
> >
> > Boudewijn Rempt wrote:
>
> > > 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.
>
> I do think there is at least 1 "phonestheme", if that's the right word,
> in most English words, though much of this works by eye rather than ear:
> K/C and S/Z for instance; a *cluts is not impressive as a klutz.
Well, there are couple of these "phonesthemes" in English.  "gl-"
[brightness], as in "glisten", "gleem", "glow", "glower", "glide", etc.;
"-am" [use of strong force], as in "blam", "slam", "cram" etc.; "sl-"
[movement while in bodily contact with something], as in "slide",
"slither", "slip", etc.

I prefer to see these as being not very highly productive morphemes,
much like "un-" isn't (nowadays) very productive.

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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

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Da stellt ein Wort zur rechten Zeit sich ein.
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