Echo word
Encyclopedia
Echo word is a linguistic
term that refers to a particular kind of reduplication
which is a widespread areal feature
in the languages of South Asia. Echo words are characterized by reduplication of a complete word or phrase, with the initial segment
or syllable
of the reduplicant being overwritten by a fixed segment or syllable. In most languages in which this phenomenon is present, echo words serve to express a meaning of "... and such; and things like that." In some cases the echo word may express a depreciative meaning as well.
For example, Tamil
echo words are formed with a ki(i) sequence overwriting the onset and nucleus of the first syllable of the reduplicant . ki- with a short vowel is used if the first syllable of the original word or phrase has a short vowel; if the first vowel is long, kii- is used instead. E.g.:
Echo words in Hindi
are typically created with a fixed initial v:
When an echo word is formed from a word that already begins with v, complete identity between the base and reduplicant is avoided by overwriting with a different fixed segment :
This kind of avoidance of complete identity is found in many languages with echo words. In some other languages, echo word formation simply fails in cases where an echo word's reduplicant portion would be identical to the base . This is claimed for some dialects of Tamil, for example, such that the echo word version of a word like கிழம் kizhamu "day of the week" is simply ineffable .
identified twenty distinct regions within India which use different consonants or combinations of consonants in the formation of echo words. These include languages from the Dravidian
, Indo-Aryan
, Tibeto-Burman and Austro-Asiatic families. In general, Dravidian languages form echo words with velar-initial fixed syllables (gi- or ki-). Indo-Aryan languages typically use labial fixed onsets (ʋ-, p-, pʰ-, b-, or m-). Other languages of India often use coronal fixed onsets (s-, t-, or ʈ-) or mixed systems using both labial and coronal onsets. However, there is a great deal of overlap and complexity within these systems, and they resist simple classification. For example, as seen in the examples above, Hindi typically employs labial ʋ- for echo word formation, but to avoid base-reduplicant identity it makes use of coronal ʃ-.
Echo word formation is not restricted to languages of India. It also occurs in many languages of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and other South Asian countries. Some reduplicative patterns in Persian and in Turkish and other Turkic languages have sometimes been classified as echo word formation as well.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
term that refers to a particular kind of reduplication
Reduplication
Reduplication in linguistics is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word is repeated exactly or with a slight change....
which is a widespread areal feature
Sprachbund
A Sprachbund – also known as a linguistic area, convergence area, diffusion area or language crossroads – is a group of languages that have become similar in some way because of geographical proximity and language contact. They may be genetically unrelated, or only distantly related...
in the languages of South Asia. Echo words are characterized by reduplication of a complete word or phrase, with the initial segment
Segment (linguistics)
In linguistics , the term segment may be defined as "any discrete unit that can be identified, either physically or auditorily, in the stream of speech."- Classifying speech units :...
or syllable
Syllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter. A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins .Syllables are often considered the phonological "building...
of the reduplicant being overwritten by a fixed segment or syllable. In most languages in which this phenomenon is present, echo words serve to express a meaning of "... and such; and things like that." In some cases the echo word may express a depreciative meaning as well.
For example, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
echo words are formed with a ki(i) sequence overwriting the onset and nucleus of the first syllable of the reduplicant . ki- with a short vowel is used if the first syllable of the original word or phrase has a short vowel; if the first vowel is long, kii- is used instead. E.g.:
| புலி | puli | "tiger" |
| புலி கிலி | puli kili | "tigers and such; tigers and beasts like that" |
| தும்மி | tummi | "sneezing" |
| தும்மி கிம்மி | tummi kimmi | "sneezing and such; sneezing and other inauspicious noises" |
| பாம்பு | paambu | "snake" |
| பாம்பு கிம்பு | paambu kiimbu | "snakes and such" |
| இன்னிக்கி அப்பா வரார்ண்ணு காலாதி | innikki appaa varaarṇṇu collaatee | "Don't say 'Father's coming today.'" |
| இன்னிக்கி அப்பா வரார்ண்ணு கிப்பா வரார்ண்ணு காலாதி | innikki appaa varaarṇṇu kippaa varaarṇṇu collaatee | "Don't say 'Father's coming today and so forth.'" |
Echo words in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
are typically created with a fixed initial v:
| aam | "mango" |
| aam vaam | "mangoes and the like" |
| tras | "grief" |
| tras vras | "grief and the like" |
When an echo word is formed from a word that already begins with v, complete identity between the base and reduplicant is avoided by overwriting with a different fixed segment :
| vakil | "lawyer" |
| vakil šakil | "lawyers and the like" |
This kind of avoidance of complete identity is found in many languages with echo words. In some other languages, echo word formation simply fails in cases where an echo word's reduplicant portion would be identical to the base . This is claimed for some dialects of Tamil, for example, such that the echo word version of a word like கிழம் kizhamu "day of the week" is simply ineffable .
identified twenty distinct regions within India which use different consonants or combinations of consonants in the formation of echo words. These include languages from the Dravidian
Dravidian languages
The Dravidian language family includes approximately 85 genetically related languages, spoken by about 217 million people. They are mainly spoken in southern India and parts of eastern and central India as well as in northeastern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, and...
, Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
, Tibeto-Burman and Austro-Asiatic families. In general, Dravidian languages form echo words with velar-initial fixed syllables (gi- or ki-). Indo-Aryan languages typically use labial fixed onsets (ʋ-, p-, pʰ-, b-, or m-). Other languages of India often use coronal fixed onsets (s-, t-, or ʈ-) or mixed systems using both labial and coronal onsets. However, there is a great deal of overlap and complexity within these systems, and they resist simple classification. For example, as seen in the examples above, Hindi typically employs labial ʋ- for echo word formation, but to avoid base-reduplicant identity it makes use of coronal ʃ-.
Echo word formation is not restricted to languages of India. It also occurs in many languages of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and other South Asian countries. Some reduplicative patterns in Persian and in Turkish and other Turkic languages have sometimes been classified as echo word formation as well.