sound-symbolic en · ADJ
Etymology
From sound symbolism + -ic.
Meanings
-
(not-comparable) characterized by sound symbolism
Wagner proposes a sound-symbolic origin, after the sounds these insects [grasshoppers] make. Although this cannot be fully excluded, this word exhibits suspiciously little formal variation for a sound-symbolic formation.
2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 198:
-
(not-comparable, qualifier:more specifically) characterized by sound symbolism ▸ (of a unit of sound or meaning such as a word, morpheme, phoneme, syllable, etc.) composed of speech sounds that are not arbitrary but also not overtly onomatopoeic
"Bouba" and "Kiki" are sound-symbolic labels, not directly imitating any actual sound but nonetheless carrying strong intrinsic associations with roundness and pointiness, respectively.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sound symbolic | alternative | lexicographic |
Hyponyms
onomatopoeic (non-arbitrary) · expressive · ideophonic · phonesthemic
Synonyms
expressive · imitative · phonaesthetic · mimological · ideophonic · mimological · phonaesthetic · phonosemantic · imitative · expressive · phonosemantic · ideophonic