phonestheme
noun
pho·nes·theme
fō-ˈnes-ˌthēm 
linguistics
: the common feature of sound occurring in a group of symbolic words
He points to a 1929 experiment by Edward Sapir in which Sapir's subjects were asked to match nonsense words with small and large versions of the same object. The subjects tended to match words with a high vowel (such as ee) to the small object and those with a low vowel (such as the o in "cot") to the larger object. British linguist J.R. Firth later called these links between sound and meaning "phonesthemes."—
Michael Erard
Michael ErardDictionary Entries Near phonestheme
Cite this Entry
“Phonestheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phonestheme. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share