New research shows that for Indo-European languages, like English and Spanish, iconicity is more common than previously believed. The results are important for understanding the nature of human ...

Some words sound like what they mean. For example, "slurp" sounds like the noise we make when we drink from a cup, and "teeny" sounds like something that is very small. This resemblance between how a ...

It is a cornerstone of theoretical linguistics: the principle of arbitrariness, according to which the form of a word doesn’t tell you anything about its meaning. Yet evidence is accumulating that ...

A recent study of the use of metaphors in spoken language and various sign languages shows that certain types of metaphors are difficult to convey in sign language. The study, "Iconicity and metaphor: ...

In Photo: When a structure presents a thoughtfully designed façade, like the buildings at Central St. Giles Court in London, it immediately becomes a recognizable building—a landmark that stands tall ...

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (September 9, 2015) -- Have you ever wondered why we call a dog a dog and not a cat? Is this an arbitrary decision, or is it based on iconicity--the resemblance between word ...

During a study at the University of Miami, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology had previously found that children tend to learn words higher in ...