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Why linguistic symbols should and should not be arbitrary: An integrative account from language evolution, acquisition, and brain functions.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 16H01928
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Linguistics
Research InstitutionKeio University

Principal Investigator

IMAI Mutsumi  慶應義塾大学, 環境情報学部(藤沢), 教授 (60255601)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 大槻 美佳  北海道大学, 保健科学研究院, 准教授 (10372880)
秋田 喜美  名古屋大学, 人文学研究科, 准教授 (20624208)
酒井 弘  早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 教授 (50274030)
佐治 伸郎  鎌倉女子大学, 児童学部, 准教授 (50725976)
Project Period (FY) 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
Budget Amount *help
¥40,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥31,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥9,330,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥7,930,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,830,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥8,060,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,860,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥7,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥8,970,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,070,000)
Keywords言語心理学 / 恣意性 / 非恣意性 / 心理言語学
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Uncovering the relation between form and meaning of words is important for understanding the nature and evolution of language. Form and meaning of words are associated not only by language-specific arbitrary conventions, but also by an intrinsic link, called sound symbolism, which reflects perceived resemblance between sound and properties of referents. Does one need to be able to hear sound to detect sound symbolism? Here, we show that one does not need to. Deaf-and-Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) participants, even those with profound hearing loss, could judge the sound symbolic match between shapes and words in the same way as hearing participants do, as long as DHH participants could move their tongue freely. This indicates that they detected sound symbolism via inherent resemblance between articulatory movements and shapes. This further suggests that linguistic symbols can emerge through iconic mapping between oral gesture and sensory experience of the world.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、聴覚障がい者が音象徴性を構音運動と関連づけて認識している可能性を示唆するものである。これは、音象徴が言語の非恣意性に対し、音声が発せられる構音運動の側面から大きく寄与するという可能性を改めて示している。言語を取り巻く諸分野である哲学・生物進化・言語発達・人類学・社会経済学などにおいて、議論されてきた言語の恣意性・非恣意性に対し、実験結果という証拠を提示した点は学術的に意義深いものである。

Report

(5 results)
  • 2020 Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2019 Annual Research Report
  • 2018 Annual Research Report
  • 2017 Annual Research Report
  • 2016 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (32 results)

All 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (9 results) Journal Article (5 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 3 results,  Peer Reviewed: 4 results,  Open Access: 4 results) Presentation (11 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 9 results,  Invited: 5 results) Book (5 results) Remarks (2 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] University of Warwick(英国)

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Charles University(チェコ)

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Sabanci University(トルコ)

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Charles University(チェコ)

    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] University of Warwick(英国)

    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Leipzig University(ドイツ)

    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] カレル大学(チェコ)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ライプツィヒ大学(ドイツ)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ウォーウィック大学(英国)

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Acquisition of the Meaning of the Word Orange Requires Understanding of the Meanings of Red , Pink , and Purple : Constructing a Lexicon as a Connected System2020

    • Author(s)
      Noburo Saji, Mutsumi Imai, Michiko Asano
    • Journal Title

      Cognitive Science

      Volume: 44 Issue: 1

    • DOI

      10.1111/cogs.12813

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Journal Article] Cross-linguistically shared and language-specific sound symbolism in novel words elicited by locomotion videos in Japanese and English2019

    • Author(s)
      Noburo Saji, Kimi Akita, Katerina Kantartzis, Sotaro, Kita, Mutsumi Imai
    • Journal Title

      PLOS ONE

      Volume: - Issue: 7 Pages: e0218707-e0218707

    • DOI

      10.1371/journal.pone.0218707

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] Sound symbolism processing is lateralized to the right temporal region in the prelinguistic infant brain.2019

    • Author(s)
      Yang, J., Asano, M., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M. K., & Imai, M.
    • Journal Title

      Scientific Reports

      Volume: 9

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Journal Article] Sound symbolism facilitates long-term retention of the semantic representation of novel verbs in three-year-olds.2019

    • Author(s)
      Kantartzis, K., Imai, M., Evans, D. & Kita, S.
    • Journal Title

      Languages

      Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Pages: 21-21

    • DOI

      10.3390/languages4020021

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] The “Symbol Grounding Problem” reinterpreted from the perspective of language acquisition.2016

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M.
    • Journal Title

      In J.Zlatev, Sonesson, G., P. Konderak (Eds.). Meaning, Mind and Communication; Explorations in Cognitive Semiotics.

      Pages: 145-160

    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Sensitivity to sound symbolism in Japanese Hard-of-Hearing children.2019

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M., & Kimura, J.
    • Organizer
      15th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference (ICLC 15)
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] The heuristic thinking that makes inference of word meanings possible: An inverse inference bias in 5-month-old infants.2018

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M. Ohba, M., Murai, C. Miyazaki, M. Okada, H. & Hashiya, K.
    • Organizer
      XXIth International Conference of Infant Studies(国際学会)
    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Symbol grounding and system construction in the color lexicon.2018

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M. Hidaka, S. Saji, N. & Ohba, M.
    • Organizer
      The 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society
    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] 記号の身体化と知識構築2017

    • Author(s)
      今井むつみ
    • Organizer
      知識科学セミナー招待講演
    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] The mental functions of classifiers.2017

    • Author(s)
      Mutsumi Imai
    • Organizer
      The workshop on numeral classifiers and classifier languages.
    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] The role of contrast in constructing the color lexicon: from the initial mapping to later boundary delineation.2017

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M., Saji, N., Asano, M, & Ohba, M.
    • Organizer
      The 14th International Congress of Study in Child Language (IASCL)
    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Symbol grounding and de-grounding in language acquisition and evolution: The case of sound-symbolism.2017

    • Author(s)
      Mutsumi Imai
    • Organizer
      CLS-MPI Iconicity Focus Group workshop
    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] 幼児の言語発達の過程とその背後にある認知能力2017

    • Author(s)
      今井むつみ
    • Organizer
      日本小児神経科学会 教育セミナー
    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Lexicalization patterns in Japanese motion verbs and its influence on cognition.2017

    • Author(s)
      Mutsumi Imai
    • Organizer
      Invited lecture at Masaryk University
    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] Sound-symbolism Helps Three-year-olds Extract and Retain a “Verbal Essence”2016

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M., Lantartzis, K., & Kita, S.
    • Organizer
      International Conference on Infant Studie
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] How young children construct the lexicon as a connected system: The case of color names.2016

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M.
    • Organizer
      The 38th Annual Meeting of Cognitive Science Society
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Book] Language, Culture and Thought.2020

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M., Kanero, J., & Masuda, T.
    • Publisher
      Oxford University Press
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Book] How classifiers affect mental representation of entities. In B-Y. Yi & C. Lee (Eds). Numeral Classifiers and Classifier Languages.2020

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M. & Kanero, J.
    • Publisher
      Routledge
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Book] Learning Individual Verbs and the Verb System: When Are Multiple Examples Helpful? In J. Childers, S. Graham, L. Namy (Eds.) Language and Concept Acquisition from Infancy Through Childhood2020

    • Author(s)
      Imai, M., & Childers, J. B.
    • Total Pages
      252
    • Publisher
      Springer
    • ISBN
      9783030355944
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Book] Learning Language and Concepts from Multiple Examples in Infancy and Childhood.2019

    • Author(s)
      Mutsumi Imai
    • Publisher
      Springer
    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
  • [Book] オノマトペの謎 第6章「オノマトペはことばの発達に役にたつの?」2017

    • Author(s)
      窪薗晴夫、今井むつみ他著
    • Total Pages
      176
    • Publisher
      岩波書店
    • ISBN
      4000296612
    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report
  • [Remarks] 今井むつみ研究室

    • URL

      https://cogpsy.sfc.keio.ac.jp/imailab/

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report 2018 Annual Research Report
  • [Remarks] 今井むつみ研究室

    • URL

      http://cogpsy.sfc.keio.ac.jp/imailab/

    • Related Report
      2017 Annual Research Report 2016 Annual Research Report

URL: 

Published: 2016-04-21   Modified: 2022-08-29  

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