2011-11-10

Iconicity in Language: The Emergence of Categories

Gerd Carling and Niklas Johansson
In the seminar, an overview of various categories of iconicity in language will be done. Further, there will be a survey of the various types of iconicity in languages, seen from a general typological perspective. The study focuses of the emergence of these various types: how are they created? How do they behave historically? How do they relate to the other principles of language change, as analogy or sound change? Finally, an attempt towards a "typology of iconicity" will be done. The basic question will be: Are all languages equally iconic or is iconicity a procedure that is productive only at certain periods in certain languages?
Sidansvarig: Goran.Sonessonsemiotik.luse | 2011-10-14