Ikonizität

This volume examines the iconicity of language. Since ancient times, the question has been raised whether the relationship between the signifier and the signified is motivated or arbitrary. Thus, the question of the connection between form and meaning is one of the oldest inquiries in linguistics and the philosophy of language.

At the center of this book is the uncovering of iconic phenomena in the grammar of German at the levels of phonology, morphology, and syntax. It also investigates the role of iconicity in language change and first language acquisition, as well as whether and how different grammatical theories integrate this phenomenon into their models. One chapter is dedicated to iconic phenomena in German Sign Language, addressing the question of how modality influences iconicity in language (auditory vs. visual-gestural modality). Other areas of exploration are introduced in the preface with initial literature references.

Although primarily focusing on German, foreign language examples are also included in the discussion, as there are iconic phenomena that are not or only minimally present in German but are very prominent in other languages.