Topics: Hocket’s Design Features - Linguistics
Arbitrariness is one of Hocket’s design features. It refers to the fact that languages are mostly made-up of signs where the connection between the signifier and the signified is arbirtrary (that is, symbolic signs).
Arbitrariness is demonstrated by the fact that a same meaning can be expressed in an unlimited way across languages. This is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful things about languages.