What is Onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia refers to words that phonetically imitate or resemble the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. In other words, onomatopoeic words sound like the action or object they describe. For example, words like “boom”, “pop”, and “meow” are examples of onomatopoeia because they phonetically sound similar to the actual sound they represent.
Some common examples of onomatopoeic words include:
- “Boom” – the sound of an explosion
- “Splash” – the sound of something hitting water
- “Bang” – the sound of a gunshot or loud noise
- “Tick tock” – the sound of a clock
- “Woof” – the bark of a dog
- “Meow” – the mewl of a cat
- “Zzz” – the sound of snoring
Onomatopoeic words are heavily used in comic books and graphic novels to express action and sound effects. They also play a major role in poetry and children’s books by bringing the writing to life in an auditory way.
Characteristics of Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a literary device where words phonetically imitate and resemble the sounds they describe. The key characteristics of onomatopoeia include:
- The words phonetically imitate natural sounds like animal noises, sounds of weather or movement, mechanical sounds and more.
- They describe natural sounds using dimensions of noises like rhythm, pitch, tempo, resonance and more.
- They invoke sounds through spelling and pronunciation to resemble sounds for rhetorical effects.
- They convey sensations and meaning beyond simple sound repetition.
- They are context-sensitive based on the language and culture they originate from to convey meaning.
For example, the dog’s bark – “woof woof” – is a popular example of onomatopoeia. The word “woof” phonetically imitates the sound of a dog barking, and conveys meaning based on the context of a dog barking within English language and culture (cited from https://www.academia.edu/7704080/Characteristics_of_Onomatopoeia_LIN1001_Discovering_Linguistics). Onomatopoeic words invoke imagination through sounds for rhetorical effects.
Is a Dog’s Bark Onomatopoeia?
Yes, a dog’s bark is considered a form of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia refers to words that phonetically imitate or resemble the sound they describe. In the case of a dog’s bark, the word “bark” itself imitates the short, abrupt noise a dog makes. Specifically, the word contains a hard “k” sound at the end which mimics the sharp sound of a bark.
A dog’s bark also functions as onomatopoeia because it is the animal’s way of mimicking certain sounds vocally. Dogs often bark in response to various noises like doorbells, sirens, or other animals. The sound of their vocalization reflects the sound they are reacting to. So a dog’s barking noise both resembles the word used to describe it as well as the sounds they are imitating.
Across languages, the onomatopoeic words used to describe a dog’s bark carry a similar hard consonant sound to reflect this. For example, “wan wan” in Japanese, “ham ham” in Korean, or “ouah ouah” in French (Source). So while the exact word may vary, the phonetic quality communicates a resemblance to the sharp sound of a bark.
Other Animal Sounds as Onomatopoeia
Many animal sounds are examples of onomatopoeia, where the word phonetically imitates the sound it describes. Some common examples include:
- Meow – the sound a cat makes
- Moo – the sound a cow makes
- Baa – the bleating sound of a sheep
- Oink – the noise a pig makes
- Bark – describes the sound a dog makes
- Roar – the thunderous noise from a lion or other big cat
- Howl – the long, mournful noise a wolf or coyote makes
- Purr – the soft, vibrating, almost “musical” sound a cat makes when content
These onomatopoeic words capture the distinct sounds different animals make. Though the words themselves are not actual animal noises, they phonetically imitate each creature’s cry, call or bellow.
For a more comprehensive animal onomatopoeia list, see this reference.
Onomatopoeia Across Languages
Onomatopoeia exists in many languages to represent real-world sounds using words. For example, the sound of a dog barking is often written as “woof woof” in English. However, different languages use different words for the same sounds.
According to this article, the sound of a clock ticking is “tick tock” in English, but “chik chik pok pok” in Korean and “ticchettio” in Italian. Similarly, the French word for snoring is “ron ron pshi pshi”.
So while onomatopoeic words aim to phonetically imitate real-world sounds, the specific words used can vary widely between languages. The onomatopoeia reflects the unique sound symbolic system within each language.
Uses of Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is commonly used in literature and poetry to create vivid descriptions and evoke emotions and sensations. For example, poets often use onomatopoeias like “boom,” “crash,” and “sizzle” to capture the sounds of objects and actions.
As cited from https://self-publishingschool.com/onomatopoeia/, “There might also be more subtle uses of onomatopoeia in writing. The word ‘pop,’ for example, sounds like something popping. These words help establish mood, tone, rhythm and immerse readers in what’s happening.”
Onomatopoeias are also frequently used in advertising and branding to make products and advertisements more memorable and attention-grabbing. Slogans containing onomatopoeias like “Snap, Crackle, Pop” for Rice Krispies cereal and “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz” for Alka-Seltzer have become iconic and easy to recall due to their creative use of sound words.
Onomatopoeia vs. Realism
Onomatopoeic words are meant to mimic sounds, but they may not always realistically represent actual sounds. For example, the word “meow” is often used to convey the sound a cat makes, but it does not accurately represent the formant frequencies and other acoustic characteristics of most meows. However, as the NFI notes, while onomatopoeic words may not be exact sound reproductions, they can enhance the realism of sounds in media like movies by emphasizing certain auditory aspects.
Some researchers argue that excessive use of onomatopoeia could reduce user experience realism due to the abstraction from true sounds. But as Oh (2019) found, strategic and moderate use of onomatopoeias can direct user attention and convey object affordances, thereby enhancing realism in certain contexts.
Psychology of Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia taps into human psychology by evoking imaginary sounds that readers can relate to. The human brain is wired to connect words that phonetically imitate sounds with the actual sounds themselves. As Lindstedt explains, “the psychology of onomatopoeia are likely to be opaque” (Linguistic recycling and the open community). When we see a word like “bark” that phonetically resembles the actual sound of a dog’s bark, our brains light up and we can easily imagine and relate to that sound.
This imaginative power of onomatopoeic words helps writers emotionally engage readers. By tapping into sounds that readers have heard before, writers can spark readers’ auditory memory and imagination. This helps transport readers deeper into a scene by immersing them in familiar soundscapes.
Origin of the Word Onomatopoeia
The word “onomatopoeia” comes from the Greek roots “onoma” meaning “name” and “poiein” meaning “to make.” It was coined in the 16th century to refer to words that imitate or recreate the sounds they describe.
The word entered the English language when writers began using onomatopoeic words in poems and stories to represent sounds. As this literary device became more common, there was a need to name it, leading to the creation of the term “onomatopoeia.”
The Greek roots aptly capture the essence of onomatopoeia – words that are named or created to mimic real-life sounds like animal noises or noises in nature. So an onomatopoeic word is literally a “name-making” of a sound.
Conclusion
To summarize the key points in this article, onomatopoeia refers to words that phonetically imitate the sounds they describe. Some common examples are animal sounds like “meow” or “moo.”
A dog’s barking consists of the sounds “arf arf”, which phonetically imitates the actual sound a dog makes when barking. Since the spelling directly imitates the sound through the letters used, a dog’s bark can be classified as onomatopoeia.
Onomatopoeic words capture sounds in a vivid way that helps describe actual noises and bring writing to life. Whether woofs, barks or ruffs, the way dogs vocalize is a classic example of this literary device used to describe real-world sounds.