Gizey onomatopoeias
Abstract
This paper offers a first overview of onomatopoeias in Gizey, a languoid of the Masa branch of Chadic (Afroasiatic). Onomatopoeias are classified as a subset of ideophones, which include words, irrespective of word class (nouns, interjections, and adverbs), that depict sensory experiences. Like other ideophones, onomatopoeias show morphological operations. A remarkable feature of Gizey onomatopoeias is the prevalence of the CiC (Consonant-vowel /i/-Consonant) root structure. However, there does not appear to be any transparent CiC-meaning association. Tentatively, we argue that the CiC pattern is merely a morphological niche from which new onomatopoeias are modelled. Finally, we highlight other more potentially serious instances of sound symbolism in Gizey onomatopoeias.
Domains
| Origin | Files produced by the author(s) |
|---|---|
| Licence |