Definition:
The formation or use of words (such as hiss or murmur) that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. Adjective: onomatopoeic or onomatopoetic. See also:
Etymology:
From the Latin, "to make names"Examples and Observations:
- "Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;
Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?
(Alfred Noyes, "The Highwayman") - "Linguists almost always begin discussions about onomatopoeia with observations like the following: the snip of a pair of scissors is su-su in Chinese, cri-cri in Italian, riqui-riqui in Spanish, terre-terre in Portuguese, krits-krits in modern Greek. . . . Some linguists gleefully expose the conventional nature of these words, as if revealing a fraud."
(Earl Anderson, A Grammar of Iconism, Fairleigh Dickinson, 1999) - "I'm getting married in the morning!
Ding dong! the bells are gonna chime."
(Lerner and Loewe, "Get Me to the Church on Time," My Fair Lady) - "One of these days, Alice. Pow! Right in the kisser!"
(Jackie Gleason, The Honeymooners) - "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is."
(slogan of Alka Seltzer, U.S.) - "Plink, plink, fizz, fizz"
(Alka Seltzer, U.K.) - "Klunk! Klick! Every trip"
(U.K. promotion for seat belts) - "Bang! went the pistol,
Crash! went the window
Ouch! went the son of a gun.
Onomatopoeia--
I don't want to see ya
Speaking in a foreign tongue."
(John Prine, "Onomatopoeia") - "I have a new book, 'Batman: Cacophony.' Batman faces off against a character called Onomatopoeia. His shtick is that he doesn't speak; he just mimics the noises you can print in comic books."
(Kevin Smith, Newsweek, Oct. 27, 2008) - "[Aredelia] found Starling in the warm laundry room, dozing against the slow rump-rump of a washing machine."
(Thomas Harris, Silence of the Lambs)
Pronunciation: ON-a-MAT-a-PEE-a
Also Known As: echo word
