The form of emotions: the phonetics and morphology of interjections in Hadza

Abstract

Abstract The present article provides the first systematic analysis of the formal (phonetic and morphological) facet of interjections in Hadza. By using a prototype-driven approach to an interjective category and drawing on original evidence, the authors demonstrate that Hadza interjections closely comply with an interjective prototype. Hadza interjections meet most prototypical features and the exceptions attested fully match the exceptions that have previously been observed in other languages. Overall, the study corroborates the validity of the prototype postulated in scholarly literature, although certain refinements are also proposed.