# Onomatopoeia-turned nouns



## cheshire

The Chinese word for "cat" is 猫 (mao1). I believe it's a  onomatopoeia-turned noun. It's like "meow" meaning "cat".

In Japanese, I can only think of two words: ツクツクボウシ (tsukutsukuboushi), which buzzes "tsukutsukuboushi" (at least to Japanese ears it sounds that way) and ミンミンゼミ　("minmin" is their buzzing sound, and "semi" means "cicada").

In English, I think "cuckoo" is such a noun.

Could you tell me examples in any languages?


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## Athaulf

There is a number of examples from English and several other languages on the Wikipedia page.


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## cheshire

Thanks, but it's not about onomatopoeia itself. 

In Japanese, コロコロ. ブッポウソウ、ドンパチ、ガラガラ、ピカドン、ぷちぷち、がちゃがちゃ.


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## Outsider

Here's a funny story I once read: the Latin word for "stork" is *ciconia*. In classical Latin, this was pronounced /kikonia/, so the word was probably an onomatopoeia based on the "kk-kk" sound these birds make with their beaks.

But then time went by and pronunciation changed, and the word no longer works as an onomatopoeia, but the name stayed. In Portuguese it's *cegonha*, in Spanish *cigüeña*; the "c" is soft, /s/ or /th/.

Another obvious bird onomatopoeia is "*cuckoo*", also found in other European  languages.


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## cheshire

Interesting! What about "pee" "soup" "beep" "ring"?


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## Maroseika

cheshire said:


> Interesting! What about "pee" "soup" "beep" "ring"?


According to Vasmer, pee (piss) is onomatopoetic noun from the wet-nurses' jerga, common to many european languages, originationg from Vulgar Latin.
Beep is of recent origin, imitating automobile horn.
Soup most likely is also onomatopoetic, originating from PIE _*seue-_ "to take liquid" (imitates sound of the liquid being imbibed).
Ring also is reckoned to be imitative, but firstly meant bell sound (bell - a kind of ring or circular band)


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## Maroseika

cheshire said:


> Could you tell me examples in any languages?


Russian жужелица - zhuzhelitsa (carabus) (this bug buzzes)


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## GretchenPlay

I'd like to offer Morepork into the bin.  Moreporks are a native bird of NZ, and have a distinctive call "more-pork", it's bizarre.  They're a type of owl i, and strangely, when you hear them, it sounds like they're asking for more pork.  There name has to be onomatopoeic.


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## mrgshelton

There's another bird...the North American whippoorwill [_Caprimulgus vociferus_] which, as GretchenPlay's Moreporks, insistently sings its own name: _whi...ppoor...WILL!_  Of course, the bird's enunciation isn't crystal clear; but, then again, neither is the cuckoo's.


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## Sepia

In Danish:

ulv (pronounced: oo-l) - wolf

krage = crow (sound: kra-kra)


English:

ratchet (the tool) - could be the same principle - this is pretty much the sound that it makes.


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## Nanon

Insects - French _criquet _seems to be of onomatopoeic origin too.

According to the Real Academia, Spanish _topar_ seems to come from "top" (the sound of a shock or a collision). If so, the same should be valid for Portuguese _topar_  and also for French _toper_ ("Tope-là !" = "Give me five!") Ooooooooh, I'm off-topic - these are verbs!!!


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## Frank06

Hi,


Sepia said:


> In Danish:
> ulv (pronounced: oo-l) - wolf


This is a quite normal development from PIE *wlq^wos (fox, wolf, wild cat) > PGm *wulfaz > Engl. wolf, > Danish ulv
(with 'loss' of w-, as in word / ord). I don't think this can be considered as an onomatopeia.

Groetjes,

Frank


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## Lugubert

In Swedish, there are for example the crow (_kråka_) and even better, raven (_korp_). 

It is thought that Engl. splash, Sw _plaska_ originate from the sound.

Very recently, the English verb pop has been borrowed into Swedish as _poppa_. That must be onomatopoetic as well.

More intense search and re-search would probably reveal hundreds of candidates.

Even in perfectly serious books you might encounter the claim that the Semitic root QR´ (as verbs Arabic qara'a, Bible Hebrew qârâ) with meanings like recite, speak, read aloud, shout, is derived from the crow's call. I find that more amusing than credible.


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## jazyk

In Brazil we have a bird called _bem-te-vi_, very literally: well I saw you, based on the sound the bird supposedly makes.


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## Benvindo

jazyk said:


> In Brazil we have a bird called _bem-te-vi_, very literally: well I saw you, based on the sound the bird supposedly makes.


 

- - - - 
Also in Portuguese: _tico-tico_, the name of another bird native to the tropical Americas, also reminiscent of the sound the bird makes, and _cacarejar_, _cacarejo_, verb and noun, _cackle_, the sound made by chicken after laying an egg.
BV


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## Kaxgufen

Pitangus sulphuratus recibe el nombre de benteveo o bicho feo, como onmatopeya de su canto. 
Vanellus chilensis  emite un "teru teru teru" y lo llamamos tero.
Chauna torquata se llama chajá, también onomatopeya de su canto. 
Y no me acuerdo más casos...


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## Nawaq

in *French* I can think of _froufrous_, in clothing it's the overly girly stuff you've got on dresses, chemises, etc, apparently comes from the rustling sounds it makes, _fr fr fr_... and also probably from the verb _frôler_


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## apmoy70

Greek:

*«Γαβγίζω»* [ɣavˈʝizo] --> _to bark_ < dog's bark *«γαβ»* [ɣav].
*«Νιαουρίζω»* [ɲa.uˈɾizo] --> _to meow_ < cat's meow *«νιάου»* [ˈɲa.u].
*«Κλαγγή»* [klaɲˈɟi] (fem.) --> _any sharp sound_ < Classical Greek fem. *«κλαγγή» klăngḗ* (same meaning); it is generally regarded as onomatopoeia of the twang sound of the arrow being released from the bow, ultimately the word for the cry of cranes.
*«Βόμβος»* [ˈvomvos] (masc.) --> _noise with a low tone_ < Classical Greek masculine noun *«βόμβος» bómbŏs* (idem); it is generally regarded as onomatopoeia of the sound of the flying drone.
*«Κτύπος»* [ˈktipos] (masc.) --> _strong noise, cracking, stamping_ < Classical Greek masc. noun *«κτύπος» ktúpŏs* (idem); it is generally regarded as onomatopoeia of the cracking sound, or the sound of the knock on the door.
*«Γδούπος»* [ˈɣðupos] (masc.) --> _rumbling sound_ < Classical Greek masc. noun *«δοῦπος» doûpŏs* (same meaning); onomatopeic word for the continuous deep, resonant sound.
*«Γαργάρα»* [ɣarˈɣaɾa] (fem.) --> _gargling, cleaning one's mouth or throat by gargling_, deverbal noun from the Classical Greek verb *«γαργαρίζω» gărgărízō* --> _to gargle_; onomatopoeic for the sound of gargling.


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## Nawaq

oh well a few others... _croassement_ 'croack', from _croa_, _ronronnement_, from _ronron_, purr, _baffe_ 'slap, hit across the face', from the sound _baf_, _babine_, from _bab_, 'lip of an animal', _coassement_, from _coa '_caw', and my favorite _prout_, a cute name for a fart


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## franknagy

Outsider said:


> Here's a funny story I once read: the Latin word for "stork" is *ciconia*. In classical Latin, this was pronounced /kikonia/, so the word was probably an onomatopoeia based on the "kk-kk" sound these birds make with their beaks.
> 
> But then time went by and pronunciation changed, and the word no longer works as an onomatopoeia, but the name stayed. In Portuguese it's *cegonha*, in Spanish *cigüeña*; the "c" is soft, /s/ or /th/..


The stork is named "gólya" [pronounce gouya] in Hungarian. Its sound, however,  is related to "k". "kelep-kelep".


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