Although linguistic signs in isolation are symbolic, the system or grammar which relates them may be diagrammatically iconic in two ways: (a) by isomorphism, a bi-unique correspondence tends to be established between signans and signatum; (b) by motivation, the structure of language directly reflects some aspect of the structure of reality. Isomorphism is so nearly universal that deviations from it require explanation. Motivation, although widespread, establishes a typology of languages, as indicated in Saussure's Cours. The evidence of artificial taboo languages suggests that degree of motivation co-varies inversely with the number of 'prima onomata' in the lexicon.
%0 Journal Article
%1 haiman80iconicity
%A Haiman, John
%D 1980
%J Language
%K iconicity language
%N 3
%P 515--540
%T The Iconicity of Grammar: Isomorphism and Motivation
%U http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0097-8507%28198009%2956%3A3%3C515%3ATIOGIA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U
%V 56
%X Although linguistic signs in isolation are symbolic, the system or grammar which relates them may be diagrammatically iconic in two ways: (a) by isomorphism, a bi-unique correspondence tends to be established between signans and signatum; (b) by motivation, the structure of language directly reflects some aspect of the structure of reality. Isomorphism is so nearly universal that deviations from it require explanation. Motivation, although widespread, establishes a typology of languages, as indicated in Saussure's Cours. The evidence of artificial taboo languages suggests that degree of motivation co-varies inversely with the number of 'prima onomata' in the lexicon.
@article{haiman80iconicity,
abstract = {Although linguistic signs in isolation are symbolic, the system or grammar which relates them may be diagrammatically iconic in two ways: (a) by isomorphism, a bi-unique correspondence tends to be established between signans and signatum; (b) by motivation, the structure of language directly reflects some aspect of the structure of reality. Isomorphism is so nearly universal that deviations from it require explanation. Motivation, although widespread, establishes a typology of languages, as indicated in Saussure's Cours. The evidence of artificial taboo languages suggests that degree of motivation co-varies inversely with the number of 'prima onomata' in the lexicon.},
added-at = {2007-08-24T13:31:38.000+0200},
author = {Haiman, John},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/292a3786df4f09219d07fc2469aafb4b1/rafg},
citeulike-article-id = {1038137},
description = {CiteULike import},
interhash = {aaf6a896c6d306be33e55145ac7eea4a},
intrahash = {92a3786df4f09219d07fc2469aafb4b1},
journal = {Language},
keywords = {iconicity language},
number = 3,
pages = {515--540},
priority = {0},
timestamp = {2007-08-24T13:31:43.000+0200},
title = {The Iconicity of Grammar: Isomorphism and Motivation},
url = {http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0097-8507%28198009%2956%3A3%3C515%3ATIOGIA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U},
volume = 56,
year = 1980
}