Iconicity Atlas
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Instructions:

  • Please read the instruction and the questions carefully;
  • Abbreviations int., n. and v. stand for interjection (e.g., ha-ha), noun (e.g., laughter) and verb (e.g., laugh) respectively;
  • If your language has ideophones[*]Ideophone is ‘a vivid representation of an idea in sound; a word, often onomatopoeic, which describes a predicate, qualificative or adverb in respect to manner, color, sound, smell, action, state or intensity’ (Doke 1935)., please enter them under interjection, adding (id.) in parentheses;
  • Your answers should NOT be a direct translation of the name of the concept given in the first column – the name of the concept is just an umbrella term for a group of words related by meaning (e.g., under LAUGH English giggle, guffaw, snigger etc. are grouped);
  • There may be more than one answer possible (e.g., for the concept LAUGH you may enter (int.) ha-ha, ho-ho, (n.) laughter, giggle, snigger etc. separated by commas);
  • It is possible that your language may not contain words denoting all the listed concepts, or the concepts might not be expressed by certain parts of speech (most probably, there would be no interjection); in this case, please, indicate the absence of a word by a dash ‘—’;
  • One word can define several concepts (e.g., English cry is used to denote two concepts – WHEEP and SHOUT);
  • You are most welcome to give your own comments on the usage or origin of the words in the section ‘Comments’.
  • If your language uses an alphabet other than Latin or other writing systems (e.g. hieroglyphs), please provide a transcription. If you have never transcribed the words in your language and/or not sure how to do the transcription, provide only the written form of the word.



N Name of iconic concept Question(s) Answer(s) Comments
31. GUN
piff, paff		 How do you imitate a sound produced by a machine gun  or a gun? How do you name such sound(s)? How do you name the action of producing such sound(s)?
int.
n.
v.
32. GURGLE
throat 		How do you imitate a low throaty bubbling noise? How do you name such sound(s)? How do you name the action of producing such sound(s)?
int.
n.
v.
33. HICCUP How do you imitate a hiccup (a quick, involuntary inhalation that follows a spasm of the diaphragm and is suddenly checked by closure of glottis, producing a short, relatively sharp sound)? How do you name it? How do you name the action of hiccupping?
int.
n.
v.
34. HISS
snake, frying fat 		How do you imitate a quiet voiceless fricative sound uttered e.g. by a snake or by fat on a frying pan? How do you name such sound(s)? How do you name the action of producing such sound(s)?
int.
n.
v.
35. HIT
fist, club 		How do you imitate a sound produced as a result of dealing a blow (with a fist or a club)? How do you name such sound(s)? How do you name the action of producing such sound(s)?
int.
n.
v.
36. HOOT
owl 		How do you imitate a cry of an owl? How do you name such cry? How do you name the action of producing such a cry?
int.
n.
v.
37. HORSE
neigh, clop 		How do you imitatea characteristic high-pitched sound uttered by a horse, a neigh? How do you imitate the sound produced by horse’s hoofs while trodding? How do you name such sound(s)? How do you name the action of producing such sound(s)?
int.
n.
v.
38. HOWL
wolf, hyena 		How do you imitate a long plaintive cry or wail characteristic of a wolf, hyena, or hound? How do you name such a cry? How do you name the action of producing such a cry? Please, specify the animal in the comments.
int.
n.
v.
39. HUM
singing 		Write the sound produced by singing with closed lips. How do you name such sound(s)? How do you name the action of producing such sound(s)?
int.
n.
v.
40. HUSH
silence 		Write the sound you utter in a plea or demand for silence. How do you name such sound(s)? How do you name the action of producing such sound(s)?
int.
n.
v.























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