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The onomatopoeia it is a linguistic imitation of a word that resembles the sound it represents. The use of onomatopoeia is deeply rooted in colloquial and informal language and is a linguistic resource widely used in childhood.
Onomatopoeia can be used to imitate sounds:
- Of animals. For example: Wow (to represent the barking of a dog)
- Of actions. For example: knock Knock (to imitate a door that is knocked)
- See also: Rhetorical figures
Characteristics of onomatopoeia
In each language (and even in each country) there are different types of onomatopoeia. The Japanese language, for example, is the one with the largest number of onomatopoeia.
Although they are not essential resources for speech, their use in children is important as it helps them learn to communicate through imitation.
In addition, onomatopoeias are widely used in cinema, theater, television, comics, comics, advertising, etc. In these cases it is common to see a type of onomatopoeia called imitative harmony where an attempt is made to imitate a sound through its mimicry.
The correct way to express an onomatopoeia in writing is in quotation marks. If this onomatopoeia refers to a thunderous sound, it can be expressed in capital letters, although the latter is not mandatory. For example: PUM!
Examples of onomatopoeia of actions
- Aggggggh (expression of terror)
- Bah (expression of contempt)
- Brrrr (feeling cold)
- Buaaaa (crying expression)
- Buuu (booing expression)
- Hum… (expression of doubt)
- hahaha (loud laugh expression)
- hehehe (cunning laugh expression)
- jijiji (expression of contained laughter)
- Mmmm (expression of tasty)
- Yum-yum (expression of eating)
- Uff (expression of relief)
- Yuuujuu (expression of overflowing joy)
- Yuck (expression of disgust)
- Cof, cough (interrupting throat clearing expression)
- Achís (sneeze expression)
- Shissst (expression of asking for silence)
- hic (hiccuping expression of a drunkard)
- Muac (kiss expression)
- Paf (slap expression)
- Plas, plas, plas (expression of applause)
- Sniff, sniff (crying expression)
- Zzz, zzz, zzz (sleepy expression)
- Bang bang (shots)
- Ding Dong (bells)
- Ay (expression of pain).
- Biiiip! Biiiip (phone horn sound)
- Boom (explosion)
- Boing (bounce)
- Click (trigger of a weapon that is unloaded)
- Crash (hit)
- Cronch (crunch)
- Pop (little pop)
- Plic (drop of water)
- Tic-tac, tic-tac (second hand on the clock)
- Knock, knock (knock on the door)
- Riiiing (doorbell)
- Zas (hit)
Examples of animal onomatopoeia
- Auuuu (howling of a wolf)
- Bzzzz (the bee while flying
- Beeee (bleat the sheep)
- Croa-croa (frog)
- Oink (a squealing pig)
- Meow (meow the cat)
- Hiiiic (scream the rat)
- Beeee (howling the bull)
- Qui-qui-ri-qu (cluck the rooster)
- Clo-clo (cluck the hen)
- Cua-cua-cua (duck)
- Cri-cri (cricket)
- Wow (the barking of a dog)
- Glu-glu (a person drowning)
- Muuuu (cow)
- Tweet (bird)
- Iiiiih (neigh the horse)
- Groar, Grrrr, Grgrgr (roar the lion)
- Ssssh (snake)
- Uh-uh (owl)
