Phonetic Tendencies in Naming Dolls and Stuffed Animals

Abstract

People bestow names to give a sense of identity and life to what they name.Names are invented to refer to both inanimate objects and people. People express their attachment through naming. They enjoy the process of enunciating and listening to names.Young children are also fond of naming their possessions. They establish a relationship by naming and calling them. This investigation introduces sound symbolism based on a survey of naming dolls and stuffed animals which was conducted in July and September, 2016 in two universities in Fukuoka, Japan. The participants were 439 female students who were asked if they have owned dolls and stuffed animals. They were also asked to specify their species, gender, names, and any additional information. 142 students provided 219 names for dolls and stuffed animals. The data concerning rhythm and phonemes will be analyzed. The results will be compared with the naming of pets, which was the central concern of Kido (2017). This present study will refer to phonetic tendencies in general in order to discover some similarities and differences between the naming of dolls/stuffed animals and pets, and the importance of sound symbolism will also be another topic of concern.