A phonological typology of demonstratives: a study in iconicity

This article proposes a phonological typology of proximal and distal demonstratives. The typology is primarily based on the distinctive sounds in the demonstratives under study, and secondarily on their length. Three major types (each with subtypes), labeled as Distance, Length, and Varia, are distinguished. The first type is the most frequent one, but length also makes an important contribution to phonologically coded oppositions between demonstratives. Our results lend support to the findings of earlier studies, for example, in showing that front phonemes are more common in proximal demonstratives and back phonemes in distal demonstratives. Unlike previous studies, our study also takes a closer look at consonants and additionally takes the length of demonstratives into consideration. As expected, the oppositions in question are more often realized by vowels than by consonants. In addition to proposing a phonological typology of demonstratives, the study makes a relevant contribution to our understanding of sound symbolism.