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Coming across 'Onamotapoeia' in the 1st Year of Linguistics

The first few classes of Linguistics and the strangest (funny to pronounce) word I came across was 'Onamotapoeia'. Looks like quite a complicated meaning to be unveiled, isn't it?

But you have come across Onamotapoeic words ever since you were a toddler. Remember those 'Bow-wow', 'meow', 'tick-tock', - those are what it means.

Words that imitate the sounds of what's been described. Words that resemble natural sounds like - the 'buzz' of bees, the singing 'cuckoo', the 'quack-quack' of ducks and 'oink-oink' of pigs.

Onamotapoeic sounds can be understood beyond language barriers. They belong to the language that uses these natural sounds in their vocabulary and for that matter even a kid can interpret what that word stands for - we've all heard those bow-wows and meow meows.

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  1. Eddie FMarch 12, 2013 at 10:25 PM

    I especially like the liquid words, such a splash, plop and gloop!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dr. Shilpa VernekarMarch 13, 2013 at 2:13 PM

    :) You have an interesting blog Eddie - Lexicolatry

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dr. Shilpa VernekarMarch 13, 2013 at 2:14 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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