What is Linguistics Iconicity? Different Kinds of Linguistic Iconicity.

 

Iconicity:

Iconicity refers to the similarity or sameness between two facets of a symbol: the form and the meaning of that symbol or sign. An iconic sign is a sign that’s formation is almost the same as the meaning of the sign. Contrary to the iconicity is ‘arbitrariness’. In arbitrary signs, the relationship between meaning and facet is established only on agreement; there is no resemblance in the form and meaning of the sign.

 For example, The Arabic-Hindu numerals (1, 2, 3) are arbitrary, as their prevalent formation doesn’t correspond to any facet of their meaning. In opposition to this, the Roman numbers I, II, III are purely iconic, as the number of happening of the sign I correspond with the number that the Numerals constitute. As ‘iconicity’ deals with the aspects of a sign in common let alone those of ‘linguistic signs’, it has a vital role in the field of semiotics— which is the study of signs and signaling.

 Although, language is considered as the most prevalent symbolic communicative system that human beings use, the concept of ‘iconicity’ serves a vital part in specifying the linguistic signs and the Linguistic System. Iconicity is equally important in the study of literary uses of the language, as in Prose and Poetry.

There are different kinds of ‘iconicity’:

(1)Imagic Iconicity   the form of a symbol can be like the aspects of its meaning in different ways: it may form an image in the mind of the notion, this is called the Imagic Iconicity,

(2)  diagrammatic iconicity; When its form and the disposition of its components may bear a resemblance to the structural relationship between components of the notion that is represented, this is called diagrammatic iconicity.

An example of Imagic iconicity is the word ‘cuckoo’, as the sound of the word resembles that of the bird (call), and a symbol such as RABBIT in Israeli Sign Language, the form of which—the hands that represent the long ears of the Rabbit—bears a resemblance to a visual characteristic of the Rabbit.

An example of diagrammatic iconicity is vēnī, vīdī, vīcī, where the sequence of clauses in a discourse is comprehended as considering the sequence of the happenings in the world.

Aspects of Iconicity are there in all levels of Linguistics like Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, and Discourse. It is present both in spoken and sign language. Although, sign languages, as of the visual-gestural modality through which they are communicated, are far richer in iconic devices, hence providing a rich group of topics and prospects for the investigation of iconicity and the association between the iconicity and the language structure.

Role of  Iconicity:

Iconicity plays an important role in the acquisition of a language and other fields of knowledge like sciences etc. Iconicity is important in any learning as it makes learning very easy for the learners. For example; when teaching a child about the flying of a plane, like the flying of an airplane, so the teacher may raise his or her hands and make a shape of his hands similar to a plane in the air. The symbol of hands moving in the air is the symbolic representation of the plane.

 Hence, this way a child may learn better about the mechanism of flying. And why is this is so? Because, the symbolic representation of an object makes it easy for the learner to understand and comprehend that object fully, as this symbolic representation creates a mental image of that object which is being taught.

benifits of iconicity:

The benefit of iconicity is that it creates a mental image of a thing, Not only of visible things but also of the sounds like ‘cuckoo’, ‘mew’, and ‘shush’ or the hissing sound, etc.

Iconicity is a vital part of sign languages. Without it, even the concept of sign language is hollow. Signs are the representation of objects. And through signs, we interpret what a person wants to say. It enables a person to understand fully the language of signs.

Everyday examples of Iconicity:

Artwork/Imagery

·        All the elements that are visual, such as logos, signals, signage, etc

·        Road signals like the one representing a squiggly line

·        Road sign with an image of a deer or anything else

·        Emojis and other symbols used in the electronic communication devices

·        Symbolic buttons on machinery

·        Representation of something with an image like the apple company’s products with an image of an apple.

·        A sign of a man or woman outside a restroom, showing which one is for whom.

 

Linguistic Iconicity

·        Texting abbreviations and acronyms

·        Articulation specific words like “shhh” for telling someone to lower their voice or to remain quiet.

·        In writing, the three-dot ellipses “…” shows the pause or trailing off while speaking

·        Some onomatopoeia words like “chirp”, “cuckoo”, “hiss” etc

·        Sign of victory by the representation of two fingers

 

 Examples from literature:

An example of onomatopoeia can be found in Lord Tennyson’s “The Princess”

“The moan of doves in immemorial elms

And murmuring of innumerable bees”

Alphabetic letters are and were used by some writers to represent other objects. For example, Shakespeare’s reference to the circular globe theater by the letter-metaphor  “ this wooden O” ( Henry V, ‘Prologue’, 1.13) or in the poetry of E.E. Cummings who used the letters “OO” for a pair of eyes in “lOOk” or for the Moon in “mOOn Over tOwns mOOn”.