Practice question · Multiple choice
Iconicity is widespread in signed languages, yet they remain full human languages under Hockett's framework. What explains this apparent tension with arbitrariness?
Hints
- Can a single linguistic signal carry both visual resemblance and rule-governed conventional form?
- Does a design feature require an absolute binary absence or presence across an entire system?
Show the answer
C. Arbitrariness and iconicity can coexist rather than mutually exclude
Why
Treating arbitrariness as absolute overlooks that linguistic features exist on a spectrum. Iconicity does not preclude conventionalised grammar, just as sound symbolism does not invalidate spoken language structure.
Practise Design Features: What Makes Language Language
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More questions on Design Features: What Makes Language Language
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