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Volume 44, Issue 3
  • ISSN 0378-4177
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Abstract

Abstract

Phonaesthemes are a common phenomenon, but they are generally not in paradigmatic opposition like morphemes are (Svantesson 2017: 6). Reta, however, has a phonaesthemic contrast /l/~/r/, where /r/-colouring of neutral base words signifies an increase in vulgarity, intensity, size or severity (e.g. ‘bad’ vs. ‘terrible’, - ‘penis’ vs. - ‘cock’). This paper describes this phenomenon in detail, and provides a discussion as to whether it is best classified as morphological, phonaesthemic, or otherwise. We argue that, although some of the cross-linguistic criteria for phonaesthesia exclude phonaesthemic /r/ from being classified as such, it is not straightforwardly classified as either phonological or morphological. Using Kwon & Round’s (2015) criteria for phonaesthesia and derivational morphology, we compare Reta phonaesthemic alternations to similar phenomena in other languages. We argue that such alternations differ fundamentally from both non-alternating phonaesthemes and morphology, and are best construed as a distinct cross-linguistic category.

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2020-08-21
2023-09-25

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The expression of vulgarity, force, severity and size
Studies in Language. International Journal sponsored by the Foundation “Foundations of Language” 44, 659 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.19073.wil
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): alternation; augmentative; Blagar; consonant mutation; derivational morphology; foreigner speech; markedness; phonaesthemes; Reta; sound symbolism; Timor-Alor-Pantar languages

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