onomatopoeia
Words imitating sounds
Onomatopoeia is the formation of words that imitate sounds: *buzz*, *hiss*, *splash*, *meow*.
The term also refers to words formed this way.
Comic books are full of onomatopoeia: *pow*, *zap*, *wham*.
Languages differ in how they render the same sounds—a rooster says *cock-a-doodle-doo* in English but *kikeriki* in German.
Feline vocalization
Minimal distinctive sound unit
- morphemeSmallest meaningful language unit
- lexemeFundamental dictionary unit
- etymologyWord origin study
- reduplicationMorphological doubling process
echoic · interjection · vocable · cognate · coinage · neologism
Matching initial consonants
- assonanceVowel sound repetition
- consonanceHarmonious sound combination
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
meter · verse · imagery · repetition · euphony · cacophony · rhyme · stanza
Attributing humanity to non-humans
- hyperboleRhetorical extreme exaggeration
- imageryVivid descriptive language
- vividIntensely clear and bright
- evocativeTending to summon memories
expressive · descriptive · mimesis · sensory · figurative · stylistic · emphasis · effect
buzz
Continuous low drone
thud · splash · bang · chirp · clink · croak · gurgle · hoot · howl · jingle
meow
Feline vocalization
ribbit · chirp · hoot · caw · growl · hiss · roar · bleat · cluck · quack
phoneme
Minimal distinctive sound unit
- morphemeSmallest meaningful language unit
- lexemeFundamental dictionary unit
- etymologyWord origin study
reduplication · echoic · interjection · vocable · cognate · coinage · neologism
alliteration
Matching initial consonants
- assonanceVowel sound repetition
- consonanceHarmonious sound combination
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
cadence · meter · verse · imagery · repetition · euphony · cacophony · rhyme · stanza · lyric
personification
Attributing humanity to non-humans
- hyperboleRhetorical extreme exaggeration
- imageryVivid descriptive language
- vividIntensely clear and bright
evocative · expressive · descriptive · mimesis · sensory · figurative · stylistic · emphasis · effect · tone
pika-pika
Japanese term for glittering
- echoismSound-mimicking word formation
- soundssound, beeps, listen, sounds, hear
- comicscomic books, comic book, comic strip, comic art, comic panel
- literary elementsplot, character, setting, theme, narrator
- comic artcomic, comics, comic book, cartoon, manga
- sound wordsclick, clank, cacophony, clink, crash
- tricky spellingsaccommodate, acknowledge, acquaintance, acquire, bureau