Margo's Magical Letter Page
Margo's Magical Letter Page
copyright 1998
by Margaret Magnus
all rights reserved
Some aspects of iconic sound meanings are independent of position in the word, and other aspects of inherent or iconic meanings do depend on position. For example, the consonant /n/ is in a number of words associated with the nose. However, the role that the nose plays in the word depends on the position where the /n/ appears. In initial position, the word actually refers to a nose: neb, nib, nose. In second position, the word is most likely to refer to actions of the nose or things coming from the nose: snap, snarl, sneeze, sniff, snore, snort, snot, (snout), snuff. And in prefinal position, the nose becomes passive, rather than active, and the word refers to smells, or things which affect the nose: scent, stench.
This example is typical. The sound that appears in initial position generally defines the backdrop, the basic ground on which the word is built. In second position after an initial consonant, a sound's meaning is still having an agentive sort of effect. Its effect will also be modified and directed by the initial consonant, which determines the basic premise of the word. In positions after the vowel, the effect of the consonant's meaning becomes passive and expressive of a result. In prefinal position, that result is modified by the effect of the final consonant. In final position, the meaning of the consonant expresses the end result of the scenario implicit in the word.
On this page, I'll offer some phonesthemes for the consonants /l/ and /r/, which are the consonants that appear in the widest range of positions in the syllable. I'll try to compare the /r/ phonestheme with the /l/ phonestheme that most resembles it. All of the data presented in these files is in the phonesthemic dictionary.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | General running or walking, no source or path implied. Tends to be fast or wide ranging. | race, raid, range, reach, rip, roam, roar, romp, rove, run, rush | 11 | 8 |
| 2 | Motion's source or path is defined by initial consonant. Tends to be slow and limited. /tr/ - implicit goal. | break, crawl, creep, cross, cruise, drag, drift, drop(by), frisk, prance, press, prowl, thread, trace, track, trail, tramp, tread, trek, tromp, troop, trot, trudge | 23 | 6 |
| 3 | Source and path defined. Tends to be fast or wide-ranging. /str/ linear | scram, scream, spread, spring, sprint, stray, streak, stream, stride, strike, stroll, strut | 12 | 19 |
| F2 | An element of inevitability or lack of control implied. Obstacle implied. | barge, charge, course, curve, dart, ford, forge, fork, forth, hurl, march, part, storm, swarm, swerve, warp | 16 | 6 |
| F3 | Inevitability or passivity often implied. No implicit obstacle. | fare, near, roar, scour, soar, tear, tour, veer | 8 | 5 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | General departure. | lead, leave, lope, lunge, lurch | 5 | 3 |
| 2 | With labials usually a flight from something specific, otherwise imples a burden | blast, blitz, blow, climb, flash, flee, fly, plod, plunge, slink, slip, slog, slosh | 13 | 5 |
| 3 | Flight | split | 1 | 7 |
| F2 | Avoidance | bolt, skulk | 2 | 1 |
F3 |
Pulling | crawl, prowl, pull, steal, scale, trail | 6 | 3 |
Observations
· The /l/ words usually contain a labial
consonant. In positions 1, 2, 3, F2, the words containing /l/ imply a departure
from wome place. In final position, they imply that something is dragged
along behind. In words containing /r/, this sticky association with a place
or thing is not in general implied. /l/ quite generally implies a flowing
whose direction and force is determined by its position in the word relative
to the other sounds which surround it. When /l/ appears in initial position,
the flowing outward happens first, and the word concludes with the position
from which the flowing occurs. If the word ends in /ch/ or /j/, a sudden
overcoming of resistance is implied. If the word ends in a labial, the place
or position from which the flowing occurs is emphasized (lope, leave). When
/l/ occurs initially, the action 'leads', but when the /l/ occurs in final
position, the flowing is after the fact, and we get the opposite 'follow',
or 'pull'.
· /r/'s energy is much more active than /l/'s. The other sounds in
a word containing /r/ define the source, goal and path of its energy, but
there is in general no ongoing connection between them. In initial position,
/r/ often implies that the motion has no limitation (roam, range, rove,
romp). In these words, for example, the measure in /m/ emphasize the area
that is convered. The number in 'range' adds to the word the sense that
a specific measureable area is involved. The /p/ in 'romp' gives emphasis
to the steps. These characteristics are quite general for /m/, /n/ and /p/.
When /r/ appears in 3rd position, /s/ begins the word, and reinforces the
energy making the sCr words more powerful or energetic than their #Cr counterparts.
This too is quite general for /s/. If you compare /r/ in second position
to /r/ in pre-final position, you find that it loses control after the vowel.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | Non-agentive 'riding' | race, raft, rev, ride, rip, roll, row, run | 8 | 6 |
| 2 | Effortful, implies a burden and a direction. | branch, bring, draft, draw, drive, freight, trail, trawl, trip, troll, truck | 11 | 3 |
3 |
||||
| F2 | More focussed on steering than burden. | cart, surf, turn | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | Steering, directedness or a burden. | bear, oar, spur, steer, tour, veer | 6 | 4 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | General departure. | launch | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Easy sliding/flying over water or through air | flight, float, flow, flux, fly, glide, sled, slide, slink, slip | 10 | 3 |
3 |
||||
| F2 | Steering | helm | 1 | .5 |
F3 |
Pulling or steering | haul, pull, roll, sail, scull, trail, trawl, troll, wheel | 9 | 4 |
Observations
· The /r/ words in general involve a vehicle
which must be drive with an engine or with some other force. When the /r/
occurs in initial position, the energy is given, and so the word infers
'riding', that the person transported is not having to steer or carry any
weight. When /r/ appears immediately after a consonant, the consonant imposes
a burden that the /r/ must carry. When /r/ appears after the vowel, again
control is lost, and the issue of steering comes up.
· The /l/ words in general do not imply that the vehicle has an engine.
They often imply smooth movement over water or through air. Whereas the
dragging in /r/ happens when /r/ is in second position, in /l/ it happens
in final position.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | Downward. No limited path. Defined goal | rain, run | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Downward. Along a narrow linear path. | drain, drench, drift, drip, drool, drop, drown | 7 | 2 |
3 |
Outward. More forceful. | spray, spring, strain, stream | 4 |
6 |
| F2 | Uncontrolled. | spurt, squirt, storm | 3 | 1 |
| F3 | Defined source. | pour, tear | 2 | 1 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | No limited path. Defined source | leak | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Downward. | bleed, floe, flood, flow, flush, plash, plop, sleet, slop, slosh, sluice | 11 | 4 |
3 |
Outward. More forceful. | splash, splat, splay, splotch | 4 |
3 |
| F2 | Uncontrolled. | melt, whelm | 2 | 2 |
| F3 | Downward. Uncontrolled. | drool, fall, hail, spill | 4 | 2 |
Observations
· The /r/ words tend to be more linear than
those containing /l/.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | Wild or unrestrained. Source of sound not narrowly specified | rage, rant, rap, rasp, rave, ring, roar, rout, row | 9 | 6 |
| 2 | Source of sound more narrowly defined. Sound is more restrained. Sound produced intentionally | bray, breath, crack, crash, creak, croak, croon, crunch, cry, drawl, drone, drum, frog, groan, groove, growl, grunt, shriek, shrill, thrum, trill, troll | 22 | 6 |
3 |
Strained voice (/k/) or string (/t/). | screak, scream, screech, strain, strike, stroke, strum | 7 |
11 |
| 5 | Unintentionally produced sound of limited duration. | bark, birl, burp, chirp, chord, dirge, fart, hoarse, horn, snarl, snort, storm | 12 | 5 |
| F3 | Unintentionally produced prolonged sound. | birr, blare, chirr, churr, purr, roar, snore, whir | 8 | 5 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 |
|
| ||
| 2 | Source of sound is an orifice. Sound produced intentionally | blab, blare, bleat, blow | 4 | 1 |
3 |
||||
| F2 | Unintentionally produced sound of limited duration. | pulse | 1 | 1 |
| F3 | Unintentionally produced prolonged sound. | bawl, bell, birl, drawl, gnarl, growl, howl, knell, peal, shrill, snarl, squeal, toll, trill, troll, wail, yell, yowl | 18 | 8 |
Observations
· The /l/ words tend to cooccur with labials.
(/r/ throughout this page is classified as a labial.) This type of cooccurrence
is very common throughout the vocabulary. I tend increasingly to think that
this means that an /l/ somehow needs a labial to make noise. The /l/ words
also tend to be higher pitched than those containing /r/.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | Incoherent. | rage, rant, rasp, rave, roar | 5 | 4 |
| 2 | Coherent, having specific intent. | brag, bring, broach, greet, grill, gripe, grouse, phrase, praise, prate, pray, preach, prove, threat, thresh, train, trope | 17 | 4 |
3 |
Outward. More forceful. | screen, spread, spring, stress, stretch | 5 |
8 |
| F2 | Uncontrolled or prolonged. | blurt, harp, spurt, word, yarn | 5 | 2 |
| F3 | Defined source. Need to express something repressed | air, pour, share, square | 4 | 3 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 |
|
| ||
| 2 | Coherent, having specific intent. Pleading in /p/, blame otherwise | blab, blame, blare, blast, blow, cluck, flak, flay, flout, plea, plead, please, slap, slur | 14 | 5 |
3 |
||||
| F2 | scold | 1 | 1 | |
| F3 | Defined source. Wish to talk. | call, dial, hail, heil, poll, skoal, spiel, tale, tell | 9 | 4 |
Observations
· You can begin to see at this point that
the most controlled positions are 2nd and 3rd, before the vowel, but after
initial consonants. The lack of control in initial position is always different
from the lack of control which surfaces when the consonant follows the vowel.
In initial position, the speech itself, represented by /r/ is not limited,
and in this case, the result is incoherence. After the vowel, coherence
has already been provided by intial consonants. For example, the person
has something to air or share, but is not in control of the actual process
of sharing. It's something that needs to be done. The fact that /l/ is less
actively forceful can be seen, for example, in the fact that the talking
words ending in /r/ have an implication of compulsion, whereas those ending
in /l/ just express a wish to talk.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 |
|
| ||
| 2 | In general expresses an activity | braille, browse, draw, graph, phrase, press, print, proof, prose, trace | 10 | 3 |
3 |
Generally an activity, emphasizes the script itself | scrawl, scribe, script, scroll | 4 |
3 |
| F2 | Usually expresses the result of writing | card, chart, forge, mark, term, verse, word | 7 | 3 |
| F3 | score | 1 | 1 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 |
|
| ||
| 2 | Coherent, having specific intent. | glyph, slate | 2 | .5 |
3 |
||||
| F2 |
|
| ||
| F3 | Defined source. Wish to talk. | braille, scrawl, scroll, spell, will | 5 | 2 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | General criticism or attempts to irritate. | rag, rail, rake, ram, rap, rat, rate, raw, razz, rib, rile, riot, rise, rock, roil, rot, rouse, rub, rude, ruse, rut | 21 | 15 |
| 2 | Putting somebody through something | craze, grate, grill, threat | 4 | 1 |
3 |
Increased forcefulness, driving away | scram | 1 |
2 |
| F2 |
|
| ||
| F3 | Scare. | dare, floor(v), glare, jar, rear(v), scar, scare, sore, spur, stare, stir, tear | 12 | 8 |
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | low, lull | 2 | 1 | |
| 2 | Interference with ongoing activity. | bleep, plod, slack, sleep, slog, slop, sloth, slow, slug | 9 | 3 |
3 |
||||
| F2 | mild | 1 | 1 | |
| F3 | Discontinuation. | lull, quell, stall, still | 4 | 2 |
Observations
· There isn't really a class of words containing
/l/ intended to make someone active. There are words of criticism (listed
below). But the closest large class of words in /l/ to the 'razz' class
in /r/ slows things down rather than speeding them up. This to my feeling
says a lot about the difference between /r/ and /l/. /r/ has its own inherent
energy which activates what surrounds it. /l/ has more of a potential energy,
which has a calming or slowing effect on its environment. The words in this
class in which /r/ appears before the vowel are intended to make someone
active. When /r/ appears after the vowel, they are words of scaring.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 |
|
| ||
| 2 | Criticism | brand, crock, drat, gripe, grouch, grouse, growl | 7 | 2 |
3 |
Criticism intensified | screw, strip | 2 |
3 |
| F2 | Yelling, implies condescension | barb, bark, curse, harp, irk, scorn, smirch | 7 | 3 |
| F3 |
|
|
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | General criticism | lash, launch, lay (into), lip, lump (it) | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Criticism for something specific | blame, blast, blow, cluck, flak, flay, flout, slap, slur | 9 | 3 |
3 |
||||
| F2 | Implies authority | scold | 1 | 1 |
| F3 | Implies an effect has been brought about. (resultative) | gall, rile, roil, till | 4 | 2 |
Observations
· This implication of condescension is quite
common in /r/ and /l/ after the vowel.
| Pos | Characterization | Word List | # | % |
| 1 | General | ramp, ring, rink, road, route, run, rut | 7 | 5 |
| 2 | Directed through or over. | bridge, draw, through, track, trail | 5 | 1 |
3 |
street, strip | 2 |
3 | |
| F2 | Uncontrolled. | course | 1 | 1 |
We could continue in this manner through all the phonesthemes represented in /l/ and /r/.
Margo's Magical Letter Page