Beautiful-sounding words float like gossamer

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | March 26, 2020 | Melissa Mohr, Correspondent

[Jagermonster]

It turns out that the words that English speakers find pleasing are more like papillon and less like Aschenputtel, according to phonaesthetics.

ome languages have beautiful words for “butterfly”: papillon (French), mariposa (Spanish), farfalla (Italian). In German, it’s Schmetterling. Cinderella gets names fit for a princess in these languages, too: Cendrillon (French), Cenerentola (Italian), Cenicienta (Spanish). In German, she’s Aschenputtel. I heard these examples recently in a series of viral videos: “How German Sounds Compared to Other Languages.” The videos imply that German sounds harsh compared with the Romance languages. This got me thinking, what are the most beautiful-sounding words in English?

It turns out that the words that English speakers find pleasing are more like papillon and less like Aschenputtel, according to phonaesthetics, the study of “the aesthetic properties of sound.” Ideally, phonaesthetics investigates sound irrespective of meaning, though of course in practice that is difficult to do. When classics professor Robert Wolverton surveys his students, he finds that they often rank mother highly, even though, as he says, “It’s not really a beautiful sound. But, it’s something that everyone has such a high regard for.”

So which patterns turn words into music to our ears? Linguist David Crystal has identified some characteristics. “Beautiful” words often have three or more syllables, with stress on the first syllable; they are dactylic, like Professor Crystal’s favorite, tremulous. They frequently have the consonant sounds “l,” “m,” “s,” and “n,” but almost never contain the “zh” from casual or the “th” from think, for example.

Professor Crystal provides an interesting thought experiment to test our preferences. If you were piloting a spaceship toward an alien planet, and you knew nothing about it except that it was populated by aliens known as […]

[Jagermonster]

Definitely NOT a coronavirus thread. Article excerpted per rules. What words do you think are beautiful?

[Rurudyne]

The most beautiful words in English are “Lock her up!”

[1Old Pro]

The most beautiful words in English are “Lock her up!”

With due respect, they are "They finally locked her up".

[null and void]

+1

[dfwgator]

"Gorn. Gorn -- it's got a sort of *woody* quality about it. Gorn. Go-o-orn. Much better than 'newspaper' or 'litter bin'."

[Larry Lucido]

Gore-Tex

[Lando Lincoln]

I agree with melody. Harmony is another.

[Lisbon1940]

Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters.

[Jagermonster]

Posts like yours are the reason Free Republic needs a “Like” button...

[Larry Lucido]

"Cartoons are like gossamer, and one doesn't dissect gossamer."

[Jagermonster]

Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters.

Stimmt.

[IronJack]

German does have a lot of guttural sounds. The "ich-" and "ach-" especially.

But German is a very precise language, given its ability to pack different words together into one, which combines all the different meanings. Take "wirkschaftswunder" for example, or "weltanschaung". Even our favorite "schadenfreude" ("harm" + "joy"). These kinds of "portmanteau" expressions give German a precision that is beautiful in its own right, even if it occasionally frightens small children.

[Mrs. Don-o]

My gosh, you’re good!

[IronJack]

Nicht wahr?

[Auntie Mame]

Let’s do onomatopoeias next.

[Savage Beast]

"Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters."

"Stimmt."

Auch in den Ohren!

[plain talk]

[SaveFerris]

Now, if only one could find some diamonds, some coal, some sulfur......etc

[Billthedrill]

I recall an article proclaiming “fawn” to be the most beautiful word in English. I used to prefer “payday” myself but I suspect the criteria might be different.

[Jagermonster]

:D