Iconicity

Elżbieta Tabakowska
Table of contents

Iconicity, which may be informally defined as correspondence between form and meaning, was not much favoured by the 20th century structural linguistics. Ever since the appearance of Cours de linguistique generale (1916), de Saussure’s fundamental claim that linguistic signs are arbitrary has reigned supreme in mainstream structural theories, as has his postulate of autonomy of the synchronic study of language. While de Saussure’s basic assumption that language is an instrument of communication has remained the cornerstone of many contemporary theories of language and language use, the arbitrariness dogma, as well as the Saussurean thesis that the state of a language at a given time (i.e. synchrony) can never be explained by reference to its past (i.e. diachrony), have now been seriously questioned.

Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price.

References

Antas, J. & A. Załazińska
2004 The mental body. Gestures as signs of familiarised concepts. In B. Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk & A. Kwiatkowska (eds.) Imagery in Language: 567–84. Peter Lang.  MetBibGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Beghagel, O.
1932 Deutsche Syntax: eine gesichtliche Darstellung. Carl Winters Universitätsbuchhandlung.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bolinger, D.
1977 Meaning ad Form, Longman.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bouissac, P.
2005 Iconicity or iconization? Probing the dynamic interface between language and perception. In C. Maeder, O. Fischer & W.J. Herlofsky (eds.): 15–37. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Enkvist, N.E.
1990 Discourse Comprehension, Text Strategies and Style. AUMLA 73.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fischer, O. & M. Nänny
1999 “Iconicity as a creative force in language use”. In M. Nänny & O. Fischer (eds.)xv–xxxvi.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(eds.) 2001 The motivated sign. Benjamins  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fónagy, I.
1980 La métaphore en phonétique. Didier.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
FónagyI.
2001 Languages within Language. An Evolutive Approach. Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Givón, T.
1988 Mind Code and Context: Essays in Pragmatics. Erlbaum.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1995 Functionalism and grammar. Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Greenberg, J.H.
1985 Some iconic relationships among place time and discourse deixis. In J. Haiman (ed.): 271–288. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Haiman, J.
1980 The iconicity of grammar. Language 56: 515–540. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1983 Iconic and Economic Motivation. Language 59: 781–819. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1985 Introduction. In J. Haiman (ed.): 2–7 .  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1985 Iconicity in syntax. Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Herlofsky, W.J.
2003 You See Is What You Get: Iconicity and metaphor in the visual language of written and signed poetry: A cognitive poetic approach. In W.G. Műller & O. Fischer (eds.): 41–62.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hinton, L., J. Nichols & J.J. Ohala
1994 Sound symbolism. Cambridge Univ. Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hiraga, M.K.
1994 Diagrams and metaphors: iconic aspects in laguage. Journal of Pragmatics 22. 5–21. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
2003 How metaphor and icomnicity are entwined in poetry: A case in Haiku . In W.G. Műller & O. Fischer (eds.): 317–335. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jakobson, R.
1971[1965] Quest for the essence of language. In Selected writings, vol. II: 345–359.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mouton J.D. Johansen
1996 Iconicity in literature. Semiotica 110: 37–55.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mouton & J.D. Johansen
2003 Iconizing literature. In W.G. Műller & O. Fischer (eds.): 379–410.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kefer, M. & J. Van Der Auwera
(eds.) 1989 Universals of Language. Belgian Journal of Linguistics 4.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lakoff, G.
1987 Women Fire and Dangerous Things,: What Categories Reveal about the Mind. The Univ. Of Chicago Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lakoff, G. & M. Turner
1989 More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor. Chicago Univ. Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Langacker, R.W.
1988 A view of linguistic semantics. In B. Rudzka-Ostyn (ed.) Topics in Cognitive Linguistics: 49–90. Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1991 Concept Image and Smbol. The Cgnitive Bsis of Gammar. Mouton de Gryuter. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lecercle, J.-J.
2000 On Markov chains and upholstery buttons: ‘Moi madame, votre chien,…’. In O. Fischer & M. Nänny (eds.): 289–302.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leech, G.N. & M. Short
1981 Iconicity: the imitation principle. Style in Fiction: 233–43.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lotman, J.
1970 Die Struktur literarischer Texte. Fink.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Masuda, K.
2003 What imitates birdcalls? Two experiments on birdcalls and their linguistic representations. In W.G. Műller & O. Fischer (eds.): 77–102. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Maeder, C., O. Fischer & W.J. Herlofsky
2005 Outside-In – Inside-Out. Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mcneill, D.
1992 Hand and Mind. What Gestures Reveal about Thought. The Univ. of Chicago Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
MüllerW.G.
1999 The iconic use of syntax in fiction. In M. Nänny & O. Fischer (eds.): 393–408. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mülller, W.G & O. Fischer
(eds.) 2003 From Sign to Signing. Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
NännyM. & O. Fischer
2000 Introduction. In O. Fischer & M. Nänny (eds.): 1–16.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nänny, M & O. Fischer
1999 Form Miming Meaning. Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Newmeyer, F.J.
1992 Iconicity and generative grammar. Language 68(4): 756–96. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Norrman, R.
2000 On natural motivation in metaphors. In O. Fischer & M. Nänny (eds.): 89–108.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
NöthW.
2000 Semiotic foundations of iconicity in language ad literature. In O. Fischer & M. Nänny (eds.): 17–28.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Östman, J.-O.
1989 Testing Iconicity: Sentence Structure and Politeness. In M. Kefer & J.V. Der Auwera (eds.): 145–162 . Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Peirce, C.S.
1955 [1902] Logic and semiotic: theory of signs. In J. Buchler (ed.), Philosophical Writings: 98–119. Dover.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Radden, G.
1991 The Cognitive Approach to Natural Language. Series A paper No.300. Linguistic Agency Univ. of Duisburg.  MetBibGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sadowski, P.
2000 The iconicity of English gl-words. In O. Fischer & M. Nänny (eds.): 69–88. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schonefeld, D.
2005 Frozen locutions – frozen dimensions: LEFT and RIGHT in English german and Russian. In C. Maeder, O. Fischer & W.J. Herlofsky (eds.). Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Seiler, H.
1989 Iconicity in functional perspective. In M. Kefer & J. Der Auwera (eds.): 165–172.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sidnell, J.
1998 Deixis. In Handbook of Pragmatics. Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
R. Simone
(ed.) 1995.Iconicity in Language. Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tabakowska, E.
2003 Iconicity in literary translation. In W.G. Műller & O. Fischer (eds.): 361–376.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
2005 Iconicity as a function of point of view. In C. Maeder, O. Fischer & W.J. Herlofsky (eds.): 375–387. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wierzbicka, A.
1995 Adjectives vs. verbs: The iconicity of parts-of-speech membership. In E. Landsberg (ed.): 223–45.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Whorf, B.L.
1956 [1940] Language, Thought and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wolf, W.
2000 Emergence of iconicity in landscape descriptions. In O. Fischer & M. Nänny (eds.): 323–350.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
2003 Intermedial iconicity in fiction: Tema con variazioni. In W.G. Műller & O. Fischer (eds.): 339–360.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
 
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue