Lecture | CHiLL series
Affective Iconicity of Tonemes in Standard Chinese
- Date
- Wednesday 1 October 2025
- Time
- Serie
- Chinese Linguistics in Leiden (ChiLL)
- Address
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 1.31
Abstract
Iconicity refers to cases where language users experience a resemblance between a signal’s form and its meaning. While Chinese lexical tones are primarily known for distinguishing words, their pitch patterns may also influence emotional experience. Using both real and made-up words in perception tasks, we found that tones with falling pitch tended to be linked to higher arousal and more negative emotion, while rising tones were more often linked to positive emotion. These associations point to an inherent iconic quality in lexical tones that may subtly shape speakers’ emotional experiences.