This article contributes to the studies of sound symbolism, systematic relationships between sounds and meanings. Specifically, we build on a series of studies conducted within a research paradigm called “Pokémonastics,” which uses the Pokémon universe to explore sound symbolic patterns. Inspired by a study of existing English Pokémon names, two experiments were conducted in which English speakers were provided with pairs of pre-evolution and post-evolution Pokémon characters, the latter of which were larger. The participants were given two name choices whose members were systematically different in some phonological properties. The results show the following sound symbolic patterns to be productive: (1) names with higher segment counts are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names with lower segment counts, (2) names containing [a] are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names containing [i], (3) names containing [u] are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names containing [i], and (4) names containing coronal consonants are more likely to be associated with post-evolution characters than names containing labial consonants. Overall, the current results suggest that phonological considerations come into play when English speakers name new fictional creatures. Implications of the current results for the theories of sound symbolism are discussed throughout the paper.

中文翻译：

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如何用英语《神奇宝贝》的名字表达进化

本文致力于声音符号学，声音与意义之间的系统关系的研究。具体来说，我们基于在称为“神奇宝贝”的研究范式中进行的一系列研究，该范例使用神奇宝贝宇宙来探索声音的符号模式。受到对现有英语神奇宝贝名字的研究的启发，进行了两个实验，在讲英语的人身上配备了成对的进化前和进化后的神奇宝贝，其中较大的一个。参与者有两个名字选择，其成员在某些语音特性上系统地不同。结果表明，以下声音符号模式很有用：（1）与具有较低段数的名称相比，具有较高段数的名称更可能与后演变字符相关联，（2）包含[a]的名称比包含[i]的名称更可能与演变后的字符相关联；（3）包含[u]的名称比包含[i]的名称更可能与演化后的字符相关联]和（4）包含冠状辅音的名称比包含唇形辅音的名称更可能与演变后的字符相关联。总的来说，目前的结果表明，当英语使用者命名新的虚构生物时，语音方面的考虑就起作用了。全文讨论了当前结果对声音符号理论的影响。（4）包含冠状辅音的名称比包含唇形辅音的名称更可能与进化后的字符相关联。总的来说，目前的结果表明，当英语使用者命名新的虚构生物时，语音方面的考虑就起作用了。全文讨论了当前结果对声音符号理论的影响。（4）包含冠状辅音的名称比包含唇形辅音的名称更可能与进化后的字符相关联。总的来说，目前的结果表明，当英语使用者命名新的虚构生物时，语音方面的考虑就起作用了。全文讨论了当前结果对声音符号理论的影响。