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Chapter 5. Classification of nominal compounds containing mimetics

A Construction Morphology perspective
  • Kiyoko Toratani
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Ideophones, Mimetics and Expressives
This chapter is in the book Ideophones, Mimetics and Expressives

Abstract

In Japanese, some nominal compounds have mimetic components (Nominal Compounds with Mimetics (NCMs)) (e.g., zaazaa-buri [mimetic(the sound of heavy rain)-a fall(from the sky)] ‘a downpour’). This paper examines how mimetics participate in word-formation of nominal compounds, applying Construction Morphology. Examination of representative NCMs indicates: (i) NCMs are mostly right-headed, although some are double-headed, and (ii) mimetics combine with the types of nouns that combine with non-mimetic components. Given this, the paper proposes NCMs are part of the inheritance hierarchy for nominal compounds; specifically, their top node diverges according to the head position, building on Booij (2010: 7). The hierarchy consists of different constructional schemas, such as <[xi-hada]nk ↔ [hada ‘skin’ with attribute SEMi]k>, wherein the variable x can be replaced by a mimetic, as in gasagasa-hada ‘rough skin’, or a non-mimetic, as in yawa-hada ‘soft skin’. The paper argues that mimetics are an integral part of nominal compound word formation, enriching lexical varieties of nominal compounds. The Construction Morphology representational system proves useful to indicate where NCMs appear in the word network.

Abstract

In Japanese, some nominal compounds have mimetic components (Nominal Compounds with Mimetics (NCMs)) (e.g., zaazaa-buri [mimetic(the sound of heavy rain)-a fall(from the sky)] ‘a downpour’). This paper examines how mimetics participate in word-formation of nominal compounds, applying Construction Morphology. Examination of representative NCMs indicates: (i) NCMs are mostly right-headed, although some are double-headed, and (ii) mimetics combine with the types of nouns that combine with non-mimetic components. Given this, the paper proposes NCMs are part of the inheritance hierarchy for nominal compounds; specifically, their top node diverges according to the head position, building on Booij (2010: 7). The hierarchy consists of different constructional schemas, such as <[xi-hada]nk ↔ [hada ‘skin’ with attribute SEMi]k>, wherein the variable x can be replaced by a mimetic, as in gasagasa-hada ‘rough skin’, or a non-mimetic, as in yawa-hada ‘soft skin’. The paper argues that mimetics are an integral part of nominal compound word formation, enriching lexical varieties of nominal compounds. The Construction Morphology representational system proves useful to indicate where NCMs appear in the word network.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors and contributors vii
  4. Abbreviations and symbols ix
  5. Introduction: Ideophones, mimetics, and expressives 1
  6. Part I. Phonology and morphology
  7. Chapter 1. ‘Ideophone’ as a comparative concept 13
  8. Chapter 2. The phonological structure of Japanese mimetics and motherese 35
  9. Chapter 3. Monosyllabic and disyllabic roots in the diachronic development of Japanese mimetics 57
  10. Chapter 4. Cross-linguistic variation in phonaesthemic canonicity, with special reference to Korean and English 77
  11. Chapter 5. Classification of nominal compounds containing mimetics 101
  12. Part II. Semantics and pragmatics
  13. Chapter 6. Towards a semantic typological classification of motion ideophones 137
  14. Chapter 7. The sensori-semantic clustering of ideophonic meaning in Pastaza Quichua 167
  15. Chapter 8. The power of ‘not saying who’ in Czech onomatopoeia 199
  16. Chapter 9. Mimetics, gaze, and facial expression in a multimodal corpus of Japanese 229
  17. Part III. Language acquisition and multilingualism
  18. Chapter 10. The structure of mimetic verbs in child and adult Japanese 251
  19. Chapter 11. Iconicity in L2 Japanese speakers’ multi-modal language use 265
  20. Chapter 12. Ideophones as a measure of multilingualism* 303
  21. Subject index 323
  22. Language index 325
https://doi.org/10.1075/ill.16.06tor

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors and contributors vii
  4. Abbreviations and symbols ix
  5. Introduction: Ideophones, mimetics, and expressives 1
  6. Part I. Phonology and morphology
  7. Chapter 1. ‘Ideophone’ as a comparative concept 13
  8. Chapter 2. The phonological structure of Japanese mimetics and motherese 35
  9. Chapter 3. Monosyllabic and disyllabic roots in the diachronic development of Japanese mimetics 57
  10. Chapter 4. Cross-linguistic variation in phonaesthemic canonicity, with special reference to Korean and English 77
  11. Chapter 5. Classification of nominal compounds containing mimetics 101
  12. Part II. Semantics and pragmatics
  13. Chapter 6. Towards a semantic typological classification of motion ideophones 137
  14. Chapter 7. The sensori-semantic clustering of ideophonic meaning in Pastaza Quichua 167
  15. Chapter 8. The power of ‘not saying who’ in Czech onomatopoeia 199
  16. Chapter 9. Mimetics, gaze, and facial expression in a multimodal corpus of Japanese 229
  17. Part III. Language acquisition and multilingualism
  18. Chapter 10. The structure of mimetic verbs in child and adult Japanese 251
  19. Chapter 11. Iconicity in L2 Japanese speakers’ multi-modal language use 265
  20. Chapter 12. Ideophones as a measure of multilingualism* 303
  21. Subject index 323
  22. Language index 325
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