Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A to Z Challenge: O - Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia

Also known as, how many vowels can we string together in a row without looking stupid?

on·o·mat·o·poe·ia [on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh, ‐mah-tuh‐] n. the formation of a word, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent

Synonyms: there are no synonyms, so instead, examples: sizzle, murmur, buzz, splat, chop, meow, honk, boom ... I could go on like this for some time.

Etymology: 1570s, from L.L., from Gk. onomatopoiia "the making of a name or word" (in imitation of a sound associated with the thing being named), from onomatopoios, from onoma (gen. onomatos) "word, name" (see name) + a derivative of poiein "compose, make" (see poet).

46 comments:

Laurita said...

I used this in my post today too, though I didn't explain the word. I hope you don't mind that I sent people your way to find out what this monstrosity of a word means. :)

Emily White said...

I did this word last year! I love it so much. Such a complicated word for such a simple concept.

Great post!

Rebecca said...

woohoo new word i learned today I are smart now

Annalisa Crawford said...

Whenever I listen to 'Annie, I'm not your daddy' by Kid Creole (not THAT often, I add), I always think that's what they're singing... I've never figured out the real words... (ahem, not that I want to, of course)

Brinda said...

I love onomatopoeia.

Unknown said...

One of my favourite language devices apart from alliteration :)

Jamie
Fellow A-Z Buddy
Doing a monumental blog catch-up
Mithril Wisdom

Rusty Carl said...

I had a lit prof once tell me that some think that ALL old words have some sort of origin that if onomatopoetic. It may have morphed unknowably over time...

Just interesting is all.

Old Kitty said...

Meow! Now that's a great word too!

Take care
x

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I thought it was a medical condition until I saw someone else writing about it.
Good O word.

Yvonne.

Elise Fallson said...

Some of the best examples of onomatopoeia come straight out of comic books.

DayDreamer said...

I remember when we learned this word in school. The whole class went around repeating it for no other reason than the way it sounded, itself, and to make each other laugh for the rest of the week - oh simple times.

Adam Heine said...

That is a FANTASTIC image.

farawayeyes said...

So, there's actually a word for that. I thought it was some kind of a syndrome. HA!

Zan Marie said...

I *love* this word and the effects we can get using the concept! Bam!

Laura Eno said...

Such a funny word in itself and the concept can be hard to master!

Marta Szemik said...

Love the word you chose! This was done a lot in cartoons in 1970's and 1980's

Tonja said...

Great word.

Libby said...

Zing! What a good post. :) Fellow A-Zer http://libbyheily.blogspot.com/

Rick Daley said...

Great word, and an awesome literary device!

Jay Noel said...

This was one of the elements of literature my Freshman understood right away when I was a teacher.

Batman was my reference, and all I got back were blank stares, however. Sheesh!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

This is a popular word today!

Sarah Ahiers said...

I LOVE Onomatopoeia! Because i love saying it and spelling it and it has an awesome meaning! It's a super word!

Nancy Thompson said...

A very long word to describe mostly very short words. That graphic is absolutely perfect! Thanks for including it.

Bish Denham said...

EEK!

Claire Hennessy said...

Oooh another 'O' word ... my blog today is all about weird O words like Obeliscolychny!

Cassie Mae said...

I'm so using this one next time I have to describe what noise the car is making.

Mina Burrows said...

I didn't know this word. Very cool. :)

Christina Lee said...

Wait, does that say "1570's"?!? WOW!

Nate Wilson said...

Like everything else, onomatopoeia isn't what it used to be. Here's but a sampling of some from recent comic book panels (used to line a local pizza place's tables): Sllamp, Vreeeoot, Frrrrzzzzzzzaakkktt, Fsssmmm, Snakt, Plt.

Shockgrubz said...

I'm a huge fan of "On a momma I pee-a". Any time I can make a word out of a sound, or words out of another word I feel a sense of accomplishment unmatched by normal use of my brain.

Unknown said...

Bam! And like that, your post got my attention. Zing!

Dani said...

I initially thought WTF! And now I have a word to use for later and putting this word in my "substitutable words" folder right between 'maynard' and 'nincompoop'.

Unknown said...

One of my most favorite words in the English language. Great choice!

Lynn Proctor said...

love finding them--such a fun word

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Eeep? Like that?

Eric W. Trant said...

I like words that are both the sound, and the name of the sound, such as yurk and gurk for vomited, whiz for taking a leak, sizzle, crack, boom, and flash-bang.

He heard a crack and a boom.

Versus:

He heard a noise. CRACK! BOOM!.

I rarely use the ono versions. It is odd to read onos in anything less than a graphic novel.


- Eric

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I like "fap fap fap fap" for the sound of a boy masturbating. We used that a lot on World of Warcraft when someone was screwing around.

Or "nom nom nom" for eating.

Hannah said...

Love the post! Onomatopoeia is one cool word ;) Visiting as part of the A-Z. Love your blog!
Hannah

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Onomatopoeia..I'm keeping this one for future use, Matt! Thanks for reminding me...:)JP

Jemi Fraser said...

LOVE teaching this word - it's always such fun :)

Melodie Wright said...

I love saying this word. It's so smooth. *mutters to self*

Golden Eagle said...

I love onomatopoeia! Both the word itself and the meaning.


The Golden Eagle
The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

Sandra Tyler said...

Love it. Will get my 8 yr old to try it.

PR said...

This is one of my favourite words, I love the way it sounds :)

Andrew Leon said...

It's a fun word to say.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Matthew .. one of the long words I learnt while still relatively young - now I can't remember what poem we were studying!

Cheers Hilary