bouba/kiki effect en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌbubə ˈkiki əˌfɛkt/ General American, weak vowel merger
- /ˌbubə ˈkiki ɪˌfɛkt/ (General-American)
Etymology
Bouba and kiki were the pseudowords used in a 2001 experiment on this topic, carried out by Vilayanur S. Ramachandran and Edward Hubbard. See picture.
Meanings
- A non-arbitrary mapping between speech sounds and the visual shape of objects.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bouba–kiki effect | alternative | lexicographic | |
| kiki/bouba effect | alternative | lexicographic | |
| the bouba/kiki effect | canonical | lexicographic | |
| kiki–bouba effect | alternative | lexicographic |