Onomatopoeia: what it is and examples

THE Onomatopoeia it is a figure of speech that reproduces phonemes or words that imitate natural sounds, whether of objects, people or animals.

This feature increases the expressiveness of speech, which is why it is widely used in literature and comic books.

Comics (comics) by Turma da Mônica

Example of onomatopoeia in the comics

It is also widely used in texts sent over the internet. Examples are the phonemes that express, for example, the sound of laughter: “hahahaha, kkkkkk, rsrsrs”.

From the Greek the term “onomatopoeia” (onomatopoly) is formed by the words "name" (name is "poeiin” (make”) which means “to create or make a name”.

Examples

Below is a list of the main onomatopoeias:

  • rattlesnake: sound of musical instruments (Ra = snare, tim = cymbals, boom = bass drum)
  • TIC Tac: clock sound
  • Knock Knock: sound of knocking on the door
  • sniff sniff: sad person sound, crying
  • booah: crying noise
  • Atchim: sneeze noise
  • Whooo: shout of happiness or adrenaline
  • oh: cry of pain
  • Cough cough: cough sound
  • urgh: referring to disgust
  • Nhac: biting noise
  • Aff: sound that expresses boredom and anger
  • Grrr: angry sound
  • zzzz: sound of man or animal sleeping
  • Chibum: diving sound
  • Tum Tum: heartbeats
  • Plaft: falling sound
  • boom: explosion noise
  • crash: beat sound
  • Smack: kiss sound
  • Au Au: dog sound
  • meow: cat sound
  • poop: sound of the cock crowing
  • Tweet tweet: bird sound
  • vrum-vrum: engine sound (motorcycle, car, etc.)
  • bang bang: gunshot sound
  • bi-bi: horn sound
  • din-don: bell sound
  • blem blem: to ring the bells
  • trrrim-trrrim: phone ringing noise

Read too:

  • Assonance
  • Alliteration
  • Paronomasia

Figures of Language

THE speech figures they are resources used in order to offer greater expressiveness and/or emotions to the text. They are classified into:

  • Word pictures
  • Syntax figures
  • thought figures
  • sound figures

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