The Sound-Symbolic System of Japanese

Shoko Hamano

This book is the first theoretical study of sound-symbolic expressions in Japanese commonly known as mimetic words. It identifies stringent linguistic constraints on these expressions and demonstrates that they form an intricate linguistic system rather than a collection of ad hoc expressions. It then carefully identifies the sound-symbolic meanings of sound units so as to make the elusive meaning of each sound-symbolic expression fully comprehensible. In addition, this book describes a number of interesting facts about the history of the Japanese language which mimetic words reveal.

9/1/98

ISBN (Paperback): 1575861445

ISBN (Cloth): 1575861453

Subject: Linguitics; Japanese Language; Onomatopoeic Words