Winkin' blinkin' and nod

This paper investigates phonosemantic similarity across Southeast Asian languages, focusing on lexical items with similar phonetic forms and meanings—such as “wink,” “blink,” and “wave”—across genetically diverse languages. Bauer compares forms from six major language groups, including Tibeto-Burman, Kadai, Austronesian, and Sinitic, identifying recurring phonetic patterns like velar initials and consonant clusters. While similarities may arise from cognation, borrowing, sound symbolism, or coincidence, Bauer emphasizes the role of linguistic contact in the region’s “hot-house homogenizing atmosphere.” The study reveals consistent semantic mappings and phonological structures across languages, suggesting that phonosemantic convergence is a significant feature of Southeast Asian linguistic interaction, independent of genetic relationships (AI generated abstract, Copilot)