Semantic Correspondences of Vowel Sounds in the Kazakh Language: An Experimental Analysis of Sound Symbolism

This paper explores the semantic-symbolic correspondences of vowel sounds in the Kazakh language. The aim of the study is to identify manifestations of sound symbolism in Kazakh through experimental and statistical methods. Associations between the vowel sounds A, Ä, İ, O, and Ū and ten semantic oppositions (large–small, white–black, light–dark, male–female, strong–weak) were assessed. A total of 67 Kazakh-speaking participants took part in a survey conducted via Google Forms using the semantic differential method. The data were processed in Jamovi software, calculating mean, standard deviation, and median values. The results indicate that the correspondence between sounds and meanings is non-random. For instance, the sounds “O” and “Ū” are associated with concepts such as “large”, “strong”, and “male”, while “İ” and “Ä” are linked to “small”, “weak”, and “female”. The sound “A” was rated highly for opposing meanings, revealing its universal nature. These findings demonstrate that sound symbolism in Kazakh is grounded in phonetic, cognitive, and cultural dimensions. The results offer deeper insight into the phonosemantic system of the Kazakh language and provide new empirical data illustrating the natural connection between language and thought.