he Mental Lexicon 3:1 (2008), 72–90. doi 10.1075/ml.3.1.06mar issn 1871–1340 / e-issn 1871–1375 © John Benjamins Publishing Company Words, feelings, and bilingualism Cross-linguistic diferences in emotionality of autobiographical memories* Viorica Marian and Margarita Kaushanskaya Northwestern University / University of Wisconsin-Madison Cross-linguistic diferences in emotionality of autobiographical memories were examined by eliciting memories of immigration from bilingual speakers. Forty-seven Russian-English bilinguals were asked to recount their immigra- tion experiences in either Russian or English. Bilinguals used more emotion words when describing their immigration experiences in the second language (English) than in the irst language (Russian). Bilinguals’ immigration narratives contained more negative emotion words than positive emotion words. In addi- tion, language preference (but not language proiciency) inluenced results, with emotional expression ampliied when speaking in the preferred language. hese indings carry implications for organization of the bilingual lexicon and the spe- cial status of emotion words within it. We suggest that bilinguals’ expression of emotion may vary across languages and that the linguistic and afective systems are interconnected in the bilingual cognitive architecture. Fundamental to being human is the ability to use language and the ability to expe- rience emotion. It is not surprising then, that questions regarding the relationship between language and emotion, as well as about possible diferences in emotional expression across languages, have interested social scientists for years. Previous research suggests that emotion words may be represented and processed difer- ently in the lexicon than other words (e.g., Altarriba & Bauer, 2004; Altarriba, Bauer, & Benvenuto, 1999). Although what counts as an ‘emotion word’ is subject to a long-standing debate in the ield (e.g., Clore, Ortony, & Foss, 1987; Fehr & Russell, 1984; Johnson-Laird & Oatley, 1989; Ortony, Clore & Foss, 1987; Russell, 1991), in the present study, emotion words are deined as words that describe a positive or negative feeling, such as happy or sad, while evaluative words (e.g., interesting) or emotionally-laden words (e.g., cancer) are not considered. Previ- ous research suggests that the diference between emotion words and other words