Re: subconscious sound preferences

J. Barefoot wrote:
>
> I just noticed something. Some sounds just seem to jive with certain
> meanings. I mean, I know this is obvious to all of us; we wouldn't be on
> this list otherwise, but I've noticed it a subconcious level. To me, "k"
> is negative, "-m" is "-er", "t" is "present tense", "ngi" means "you",
> "s" is dative, and "pan" is "male". I find myself reproducing these
> forms in sketch after sketch, and not realizing what I'm doing. I'm
> curious to know if any of you have hit on the "perfect forms" in your
> own preference, that perhaps you reproduce subconsciously; if you've
> discovered the sounds that whisper to you irresistably "this is what I
> mean".
>
> I'm sorry, it really sounds like a stupid question.
Not; but those are uncommon associations, I think.
Here is a favorite URL, someone trained by Chomsky himself
(at least to a degree) and with some interesting essays
on other topics as well:

http://www.conknet.com/~mmagnus/

A web search on "Nostratic" and such might also be
elucidating; apparently there are connections between
different language families at a fundamental level,
and strange new ideas are afoot (sort of):

* There was a cataclysmic flood into the Black Sea
circa 5600 BC, causing dispersion of Proto-Indo-European.

* Arabic roots are not really triliteral consonants,
there is some sort of characteristic vowel.

* PIE roots were all CVC.

It all opens up more possibilities for imagination.