In the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, researchers Dan P. Dewey, Jeffrey J. Green, Janis Nuckolls, Auna Nygarrd, and Tod D. Swanson set out to explore a fascinating question: Can words alone—without any extra explanation—trigger sensory experiences in the brain?
They focused on ideophones in Pastaza Kichwa, an indigenous language spoken in the region. Ideophones are vivid words that often sound like what they describe—think of how "buzz" or "splash" feel connected to the senses in English. The team wanted to know if these words, even when heard without any context, could activate parts of the brain tied to seeing, hearing, and moving.
To study this, they used a non-invasive brain imaging tool called Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), which measures brain activity by tracking blood flow. Seventeen native speakers of Pastaza Kichwa listened to 105 different ideophones—some related to sight, some to sound, and others combining motion with these senses. The researchers then compared how the brain responded to ideophones versus regular, non-ideophonic words.
So, what did they find?
One big takeaway: ideophones lit up more areas of the brain—and more evenly across both hemispheres—than regular words. This activity showed up in areas involved in emotion, thinking, and sensory experiences.
Even more interesting, the kind of ideophone mattered.
- Visual ideophones activated parts of the brain that help us process images.
- Motion-related ideophones sparked areas involved in spatial awareness and movement.
- Sound ideophones lit up regions linked to hearing and understanding meaning.
The most complex brain responses came from ideophones that combined both sound and motion—for example, words that describe the noise something makes as it moves. These triggered even more widespread brain activity, suggesting that our minds are especially responsive to rich, multisensory language.
Another striking find was that ideophones still triggered distinct brain patterns even when presented without any context. This supports the idea that these words carry built-in meaning that our brains can recognize and react to right away.
Why does this matter?
This study shows that ideophones are more than just colorful words—they tap into deep, sensory parts of the brain and may be more connected to meaning that we previously thought. It also supports the concept of iconicity in language—the idea that a word's form (how it sounds) can have a direct link to its meaning.
This study is also significant because it brings a complex technological tool into a setting, namely, the rainforests of Amazonian Ecuador, where Kichwa speakers who have not been raised in a western, educated, industrial society live. Such groups of people have not traditionally been sought as research subjects and collaborators. The researchers demonstrate that it is possible to include them, thereby broadening the validity of claims made about the cognitive implications of ideophones and iconicity in language.
Finally, the research highlights just how rich and meaningful indigenous languages like Pastaza Kichwa are. They don't just offer new words—they offer new ways of understanding how language and the human brain interact. Preserving and studying these languages doesn't just help communities hold onto their culture—it helps all of us better understand how language works in the brain.
So, next time you hear ideophones, pay attention—your brain is doing something fascinating.
Read the article here.