{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T06:36:12Z","timestamp":1791268572701,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":81,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,7]],"date-time":"2025-06-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749254400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":6,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000275","name":"Leverhulme Trust","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["RPG\u20102022\u2010270"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RPG\u20102022\u2010270"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000275","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000055","name":"National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R01 DC010997"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01 DC010997"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000055","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Cognitive Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Communication is harder in larger communities. Past research shows that this leads larger communities to create languages that are easier to learn and use. In particular, previous research suggests that spoken languages that are used by larger communities are more sound symbolic than spoken languages used by smaller communities, presumably, because sound symbolism facilitates language acquisition and use. This study tests whether the same principle extends to sign languages as the role of iconicity in the acquisition and use of sign languages is debated. Furthermore, sign languages are more iconic than spoken languages and are argued to lose their iconicity over time. Therefore, they might not show the same pattern. The paper also tests whether iconicity depends on semantic domain. Participants from five different countries guessed the meaning and rated the iconicity of signs from 11 different sign languages: five languages with &gt;500,000 signers and six languages with &lt;3000 signers. Half of the signs referred to social concepts (e.g., friend, shame) and half referred to nonsocial concepts (e.g., garlic, morning). Nonsocial signs from large sign languages were rated as more iconic than nonsocial signs from small sign languages with no difference between the languages for social signs. Results also suggest that rated iconicity and guessing accuracy are more aligned in signs from large sign languages, potentially because smaller sign languages are more likely to rely on culture\u2010specific iconicity that is not as easily guessed outside of context. Together, this study shows how community size can influence lexical form and how the effect of such social pressures might depend on semantic domain.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/cogs.70074","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,12]],"date-time":"2025-06-12T11:21:00Z","timestamp":1749727260000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The Relationship Between Community Size and Iconicity in Sign Languages"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"49","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3784-5184","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shiri","family":"Lev\u2010Ari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology Royal Holloway, University of London"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rose","family":"Stamp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of English Literature and Linguistics Bar\u2010Ilan University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Connie","family":"de Vos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Communication and Cognition Tilburg University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Uiko","family":"Yano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anthropological Studies The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Victoria","family":"Nyst","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karen","family":"Emmorey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.add7766"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01690965.2011.620374"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","unstructured":"Bates D. M. Maechler M. Bolker B. &Walker S.(2016).lme4: Mixed\u2010effects modeling with R; 2010. Retrieved fromhttps:\/\/cran.r\u2010project.org\/web\/packages\/lme4"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-6632.1976.tb25514.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511712203.005"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1605782113"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cogs.12565"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/BRM.41.4.977"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/s13428-013-0403-5"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/applin\/13.2.185"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/xlm0000713"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/s13428-016-0742-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","unstructured":"Christensen R.(2023).ordinal\u2014Regression Models for Ordinal Data. R package version 2023.12\u20104. Retrieved fromhttps:\/\/CRAN.R\u2010project.org\/package=ordinal"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511805103"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1142\/S0219525911500172"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","volume-title":"Sign\u2010spatiality in Kata Kolok: How a village sign language in Bali inscribes its signing space (Doctoral dissertation)","author":"De Vos C.","year":"2012"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/sls.2018.0013"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2015.07.013"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/s13428-022-01810-x"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_21_1","volume-title":"Ethnologue: Languages of the world","author":"Eberhard D. M.","year":"2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0071781"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2008.0130"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2013.0301"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/412894"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.3209"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108166"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fnsys.2014.00035"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/josl.12490"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cognition.2008.07.015"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1551-6709.2010.01169.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rsos.181274"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-023-45373-z"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cognition.2023.105466"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cogs.13059"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0021-9924(91)90013-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/xlm0000235"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0008559"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2017.0137"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/23273798.2020.1804601"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108516"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_42_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/lan.1990.0007"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_43_1","first-page":"267","article-title":"Emerging sign languages","volume":"2","author":"Meir I.","year":"2010","journal-title":"Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1075\/lv.12.2.04mei"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.042"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_46_1","volume-title":"Signs of development in deaf south & south\u2010west Asia: Histories, cultural identities, resistance to cultural imperialism","author":"Miles M.","year":"2001"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_47_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1366728919000889"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/languages7010031"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_49_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/xlm0000312"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_50_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/langcog-2012-0007"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_51_1","volume-title":"A descriptive analysis of Adamorobe sign language (Ghana)","author":"Nyst V.","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_52_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1075\/gest.16.1.04occ"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_53_1","unstructured":"Ohala J. J. Hinton L. &Nichols J.(1997).Sound symbolism. InProceedings of the 4th Seoul International Conference on Linguistics[SICOL] (pp.98\u2013103)."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_54_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2017.01280"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_55_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0267658315576822"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_56_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/lang.12123"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797611421791"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_58_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2018.01433"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2010.00227"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0167-6393(93)90063-Q"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_61_1","first-page":"261","volume-title":"The signs of language revisited: An anthology to honor Ursula Bellugi and Edward Klima","author":"Pizzuto E.","year":"2000"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_62_1","unstructured":"R Core Team. (2020).A language and environment for statistical computing.Vienna Austria:R Foundation for Statistical Computing. URL Retrieved fromhttps:\/\/www.R\u2010project.org\/"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_63_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2019.1262"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_64_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2017.2586"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_65_1","unstructured":"Rehurek R. &Sojka P.(2011).Gensim\u2013python framework for vector space modelling.NLP Centre Faculty of Informatics Masaryk University."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_66_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2014.01318"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_67_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/langcog.2019.18"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_68_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/deafed\/enaa038"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_69_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/sciadv.adf7704"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_70_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3765\/bls.v36i1.3926"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_71_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/s13423-017-1361-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_72_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/23273798.2017.1358379"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_73_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/langcog.2019.36"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_74_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/sls.2024.a936333"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_75_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cogs.12497"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_76_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511509629"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_77_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797612459763"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_78_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jml.2015.03.002"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_79_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21105\/joss.01686"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_80_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/s13428-023-02112-6"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_81_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lingua.2005.05.005"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_82_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/sls.2018.0019"}],"container-title":["Cognitive Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/cogs.70074","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]],"date-time":"2025-08-11T10:14:01Z","timestamp":1754907241000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/cogs.70074"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]},"references-count":81,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/cogs.70074"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/cogs.70074","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0364-0213","1551-6709"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0364-0213","type":"print"},{"value":"1551-6709","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2024-09-30","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-05-19","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-06-07","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e70074"}}