Comments on: Phonosemantics: Find the Meaning of Your Name http://druidjournal.net/2007/04/11/phonosemantics-find-the-meaning-of-your-name/ Guidance and Inspiration from Nature and the Ancient World. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:13:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jeff Lilly http://druidjournal.net/2007/04/11/phonosemantics-find-the-meaning-of-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-88296 Jeff Lilly Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:17:19 +0000 http://druidjournal.net/2007/04/11/phonosemantics-find-the-meaning-of-your-name/#comment-88296 An excellent question, Kate. The best answer I have is that the <i>phonosemantic</i> meaning of a word is very different from the <i>literal</i> meaning of a word. The phonosemantics of the word have to do with its spiritual force, which is a lot less specific than its literal meaning. For example, the word "gay" has a phonosemantics of energy that arises from a grounded, guarded state, and expands flexibly. With a spiritual meaning like that, it could refer to all kinds of things -- and incidentally it works pretty well for both an expansive, joyful emotion, and a segment of society that is quickly becoming more visible and accepted. An excellent question, Kate. The best answer I have is that the phonosemantic meaning of a word is very different from the literal meaning of a word. The phonosemantics of the word have to do with its spiritual force, which is a lot less specific than its literal meaning. For example, the word “gay” has a phonosemantics of energy that arises from a grounded, guarded state, and expands flexibly. With a spiritual meaning like that, it could refer to all kinds of things — and incidentally it works pretty well for both an expansive, joyful emotion, and a segment of society that is quickly becoming more visible and accepted.

]]> By: Kate Gladstone http://druidjournal.net/2007/04/11/phonosemantics-find-the-meaning-of-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-88295 Kate Gladstone Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:06:46 +0000 http://druidjournal.net/2007/04/11/phonosemantics-find-the-meaning-of-your-name/#comment-88295 How well do the assumptions of phonosemantics fit with the fact that words often drastically change their meanings? Within our own lifetimes, for instance, the meaning of the word "gay" has changed from "cheerful" to "homosexual" ... yet the word still sounds the same. If we look back earlier in history: according to dictionaries which show word-origins the word "dunce" some centuries ago meant a highly intelligent person: it now means the exact opposite. The word "awful" long ago meant "awe-inspiring" -- it now means "disgust-inspiring." So if phonosemantics holds true, how can the above facts (documentable by any dictionary that competently covers word origins) also hold true? How well do the assumptions of phonosemantics fit with the fact that words often drastically change their meanings? Within our own lifetimes, for instance, the meaning of the word “gay” has changed from “cheerful” to “homosexual” … yet the word still sounds the same.

If we look back earlier in history: according to dictionaries which show word-origins the word “dunce” some centuries ago meant a highly intelligent person: it now means the exact opposite. The word “awful” long ago meant “awe-inspiring” — it now means “disgust-inspiring.”

So if phonosemantics holds true, how can the above facts (documentable by any dictionary that competently covers word origins) also hold true?

]]> By: highvibeit.com http://druidjournal.net/2007/04/11/phonosemantics-find-the-meaning-of-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-18080 highvibeit.com Tue, 29 May 2007 06:15:19 +0000 http://druidjournal.net/2007/04/11/phonosemantics-find-the-meaning-of-your-name/#comment-18080 <strong>Phonosemantics: Find the Meaning of your Name...</strong> Great and unique post for finding out the meaning of your name.... Phonosemantics: Find the Meaning of your Name…

Great and unique post for finding out the meaning of your name….

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