Examining iconicity information in semantic and phonetic word embeddings

Abstract

This study explores the concept of iconicity, which refers to a relationship of similarity between sound and meaning in words. The Bouba-kiki effect, where participants consistently associate certain phonemes with round or spiky shapes, and ideophones, which are sensory words like zigzag, are examples of iconicity. In this study, iconicity ratings, based on native speaker judgments, are used to assess iconicity, while semantic and phonetic embeddings provide distributional and articulatory information about words. Linear regression models are employed to connect these elements, investigating the extent to which iconicity information is captured in English phonetic and semantic word embeddings. The models successfully predict iconicity ratings to a certain degree, suggesting the presence of iconicity information in these embeddings. Moreover, the models' predictions align with previous research on the phonetic and semantic dimensions of iconicity. This research shines light on the relationship between iconicity and word embeddings, and contributes to our knowledge on the cognitive and linguistic mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of iconicity