Question

Another car attempts to move into Luther's lane while he's driving. Luther honks the horn to let the other driver know that he's there. The honk is an example of a word that belongs to what category of human language?

a. symbol
b. icon
c. index
d. lexicon

Answer 1

Luther's honk is an index as it indicates his presence to the other driver, providing a non-verbal alert to prevent an accident.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Luther honks his horn to alert another driver of his presence, the honk serves as an index. An index is something that indicates or points to the presence of a certain condition without using words or a verbal language. Unlike a symbol which is an arbitrary representation, or an icon which resembles what it represents, an index shows some causal or physical connection. In this case, the honk of the horn directly indicates the presence of Luther's car and his attention to prevent an accident.