äännelmät
Äännelmät, also known as sound symbolism or phonosemantics, refer to the idea that speech sounds themselves can carry meaning or evoke certain associations, independent of their linguistic function within a specific word. This concept suggests that certain sounds might be perceived as inherently "big," "small," "sharp," "soft," or "fast" by listeners. For example, high-pitched vowels like /i/ are sometimes associated with smallness, while low-pitched vowels like /ɑ/ might be linked to largeness. Similarly, certain consonants might evoke feelings of harshness or smoothness.
While the connection between sound and meaning can be arbitrary in many cases, there is evidence suggesting
However, it is important to distinguish äännelmät from onomatopoeia, which are words that directly imitate the