This volume investigates the role of iconicity—the resemblance between form and meaning—as a fundamental principle in language structure and usage. The editors, Kimi Akita, Olga Fischer, and Pamela Perniss, assemble a collection of contributions from leading researchers in linguistics and cognitive science to challenge the traditional Saussurean view of the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign. By synthesizing cross-linguistic data and experimental evidence, the text establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding how iconic processes influence phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse.

Experts identify this handbook as a definitive reference for scholars and graduate students specializing in cognitive linguistics and semiotics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous, data-driven approach applied to complex theoretical questions.