Is the word pleasant pleasant?
Asked by
Ltryptophan (
12091)
November 4th, 2021
from iPhone
Is there something about the word pleasant that is, in spite of its meaning, pleasant? For instance, if pleasant had a different meaning that meant repulsive, would then the word pleasant still itself be pleasant?
Is it that it’s two syllables?
Bonus: Is there a word for words that are like their meaning. Onomatopoeia means a word sounds like it’s meaning, but here the word sort of embodies its meaning.
Perhaps dungeon is a word like this. It sounds foreboding, and it is. Dragon too. Garbage.
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18 Answers
I’ve thought of this before. But can’t pull up any example right now. Will have to come back to this.
Though I’ve always thought that pulchritude doesn’t really sound like what it means.
Oh! Putrid sounds like its meaning.
”Perplex” has always sounded exactly like its meaning to me.
Phonesthematic words?
I think that’s what they’re called.
Pleasant is pleasant for the same reason pheasant sounds tasty.
Definitely sounds tastier than pigeon.
Sounds much better than pus.
Would it still be as pleasant if you spelled it “plezznt”?
Is this word pleasant? jadhaab
How about this one? prijetno
or these? notalegt સુખદ hài lòng
Arabic, Slovenian, Icelandic, Gujarati, Vietnamese.
@chyna I actually think (outside of their actual meaning), that pus, opus and octopus sound kind of cute. :P
Jagged is a word that feels quite jagged itself.
@kneesox I would say hài lòng is more like satisfied (adj.) or appease (verb). And I think it sounds like its meaning.
@raum
“Phonesthematic words?”
I think the word might be phonesthemic, but since I had no idea what the word was before you mentioned it and I then looked it up, I’ll defer to your judgment regarding its “approximate” accuracy. :p
I think you’re probably right! I wasn’t sure if that was the correct word. Hence the question marks. :P
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