Smileys

the vocabulary of emotion offers a comparatively small set of words for a complex multidimensional continuum. (translation between different languages' sets will always be approximate.)

simple icons may suggest regions on that continuum, with small variations in the icon redefining those regions unpredictably. (but small variations between implementations are unfortunately required, for copyright.)

precisely describing in words those various regions is impossible. so emoji will have to remain limited by their agreed verbal description (in each language), with the nuances conveyed by any particular visual implementation understood to be unreliable.

(imagine an app that lets you fluidly explore those multidimensionl regions, for a given icon size, around a basic palette of facial features...)

Scott McCloud's analysis
anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise

in every case, McCloud sees the mouth opening wider as the emotion intensifies

longterm proposal: the basic emoji names should just be mccloud's combinations, like "intensity-3 anger plus intensity-1 sadness"


Japanese emoticons used  (^_^) as a basic smiley and (^_-) for a wink.

(*_*) amazed
(^_^;) sweat
('_') (;_;) (T_T) crying
(^_^,) tear?
>^_^< laughing
(>_<) troubled
(-_-) ashamed
(=_=) tired
(=^・^=)　=^_^= cats

the original 12x12px Docomo smileys are puzzling:

the arched eyes don't look especially smiling, the vee eyes can be happy or sad, slanting down is angry, slanting up is regretful? tears and sweat are ambiguous, eyebars may be horizontal or vertical, arrows are maybe tightly closed, and the arrowhead a wink?

the diverse renderings for each character make subtle distinctions impossible

Inside Out

Joy

Sadness

Fear

Anger

Disgust

memory?

surprise


also: Amusement, Contempt, Contentment,

 Embarrassment,

Excitement,

 Guilt,

Pride in achievement,

Relief,

 Satisfaction,

 Sensory pleasure, and

(-_-)  Shame