Arbitrariness There is no intrinsic or logical connection between a sound signal and its meaning. Whatever name a human language attributes an object is purely arbitrary. The word "car" is nothing like an actual car. Spoken words are really nothing like the objects they represent. This is further demonstrated by the fact that different languages attribute very different names to the same object.
However, some ASL signs are representative. For example, the symbol for "house" uses flat hands to form the roof and walls of a house.[3] While Hockett did not account for this, the principle still generally applies.