Onomatopoeia

Group 3: 倪咏梅 陈星焱 陈好 何芊蔚

Onomatopoeia • Motivation

• Definition

• Classification

• Features

• Application

• Conclusion

the Motivation of the Study

• Know the basic knowledge of onomatopoeia

• Through the study of onomatopoeia, we can better understand and appreciate some advertisements, songs, films, poems, etc.

• We can put onomatopoeia in use efficiently in study and work

Definition of Onomatopoeia

a common dictionary

Literary Dictionary

Poetry Glossary

Cambridge Encyclopedia

In a common dictionary

• the formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to

In Literary Dictionary

• the use of words that seem to imitate the sounds they refer to (whack, fizz, crackle, hiss); or any combination of words in which the sound gives the impression of echoing the sense;

In Poetry Glossary

• strictly speaking, it means the formation or use of words which imitate sounds, like whispering, clang and sizzle, but the term is generally expanded to refer to any word whose sound is suggestive of its meaning

In Cambridge Encyclopedia

• the imitation of a natural (or mechanical) sound in language. This may be found in single words (screech, babble, tick-tock) or in longer units

The Classification of Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia

On People

On Animals

On Nature

The direct onomatopoeia

The indirect onomatopoeia

the object can give sound all by itself without the external force

the word can imitate the sound of the object, but the sound is given by external forces instead of given by the object itself

wail, grin, stammer

twitter, meow, cheep

swish, purl, gurgle

whack, click, bang

The Features of Onomatopoeia

• A close relationship between the sound & the meaning

• Onomatopoeia in different language differs a lot in the pronunciation

• /s/ often relates to the sound of snake (hiss), wind (rustle/hiss), water (splash)

• /m/ often represents the low and deep sounds, for example, the murmur and moan of people

• /b/ and /p/ often express the sound of water, such as boil, bubble, drip, drop, lap, plop, and ripple

• /r/ sounds quite rough and harsh, so it often indicates noise and unpleasant sound, such as the rumble of drums, the distant roll of thunder and the roar of tiger

• words start with “gr-” often refers to the stifling, low and unpleasant sounds, such as growl and grunt;

• words end with “-ump” always have the meaning of thickness and weight, such as clump, thump and stump.

• As for describing a same sound, the onomatopoeic words used in different language differ a lot. You can refer to the following graph:

Animal English Japanese Chinese

Cat meow, miaow ニャーnyaa

喵喵

Crow caw-caw カーカーKaa-kaa

呱呱

Pig oink-oink ブーブーbuu-buu

哼哼

Cock cock-a-doodle-doo

コヶーコッコー koke-kokko

喔喔喔

Onomatopoeic Words in Application

In advertising

In Songs

In Movies

In Poetry

Onomatopoeic Words

in Advertising

Example One

Deck （装饰） the hallsWith plop plop plop, fizz, plopFallalalalalala…Ahhh!

(Alka Seltzer 消食片 )

Example Two

• Just pour it in, brush, let it stand ten minutes, then flush

（ detergent advertisement 洗涤剂广告）

Summary

• The use of onomatopoeia in advertisement can serve the purpose of memorability.

• The onomatopoeic words are short but vivid, lively and impressive.

• It will deepen consumers’ impression of the advertised commodity, arouse their interest in the goods and make the advertisement more persuasive and convincing.

Onomatopoeic Words

in Songs

Old MacDonald’s Farm • Lyrics :

“Old MacDonald had a farm,Ee i ee i oh!

And on his farm he had some chicks,

Ee i ee i oh!

With a cluck-cluck here,And a cluck-cluck thereHere a cluck, there a cluck,Everywhere a cluck-cluck”

Some other onomatopoeia

moo ---cow quack---duck oink---pig woof ---dog

make the song interesting and easy to sing and remember

effects

help people remember different animals’ features

distinguish different animals

the Trolley Song • Lyrics:

Clang, clang, clang went the trolley,Ding, ding, ding went the bell,Zing, zing, zing went my heart strings,From the moment I saw him I fell.Chug, chug, chug went the motor,Bump, bump, bump went the brake,Thump, thump, thump went my heart strings

“zing, zing, zing”

“thump, thump, thump”heart strings

reflect

the waitress’s nervousness and happiness when she finds someone she loves

The onomatopoeia is not only the imitation of sounds, but also can reflect a person’s mood

Onomatopoeic Words

in Movies

Up Mr. Fredricksen: [panting] I think that did the trick. Dog: Hi, Master! Mr. Fredricksen: Afternoon Kevin: [squawks]

hard to afford the journey

[pitter-patter and thunder] Mr. Fredricksen: [muttering] Well, thanks for keeping us dry anyway, Ellie.

Russell: Which one is the front? [cling-clang] Mr. Fredricksen: Oh, boy. Russell: Is this step three or step five? Mr. Fredricksen: [scoffs] Russell: There, [grunting] [tent pole snaps] All done, that’s for you~[(the tent fly away) whiz~] Russell: Oh…tents are hard… show the characters of the people

express their feelings

shows his disdain

clumsy-handedness and muddle-headedness

Indicates the weathershows the deep love to his beloved wife

Summary There are many onomatopoeic words in songs

and movies.

1)onomatopoeia can make songs and movies more lively, interesting and easy to understand.

2)onomatopoeia can polish the atmospheres, express people’s feelings and reflect their prominent characteristics.

Onomatopoeic Words

in Poetry

Crack an Egg

Crack an egg. Stir the butter. Break the yolk. Make it flutter. Stoke the heat.Hear it sizzle.Shake the salt,just a drizzle.Flip it over,just like that.Press it down.Squeeze it flat.Pop the toast.Spread jam thin.Say the word.Breakfast's in.

The BellsI Hear the sledges with the bellsSilver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that over sprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells,

Bells, bells, bellsFrom the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

II Hear the mellow wedding bells, Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells! Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight! From the molten-golden notes, And all in tune, What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon! Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells! How it swells! How it dwells On the Future! How it tells Of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bellsTo the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

III Hear the loud alarum bellsBrazen bells! What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells! In the startled ear of night How they scream out their affright! Too much horrified to speak, They can only shriek, shriek, Out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire, Leaping higher, higher, higher, With a desperate desire, And a resolute endeavor, Now - now to sit or never, By the side of the pale-faced moon. Oh, the bells, bells, bells! What a tale their terror tells Of Despair! How they clang, and clash, and roar! What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air! Yet the ear it fully knows, By the twanging, And the clanging,

How the danger ebbs and flows: Yet the ear distinctly tells, In the jangling, And the wrangling, How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bellsOf the bellsOf the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bellsIn the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

IV Hear the tolling of the bellsIron Bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels!

In the silence of the night, How we shiver with affright At the melancholy menace of their tone! For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats Is a groan. And the people - ah, the peopleThey that dwell up in the steeple, All Alone And who, tolling, tolling, tolling, In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone

They are neither man nor womanThey are neither brute nor humanThey are Ghouls: And their king it is who tolls; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls A paean from the bells! And his merry bosom swells With the paean of the bells! And he dances, and he yells; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the paean of the bellsOf the bells: Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the throbbing of the bellsOf the bells, bells, bellsTo the sobbing of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, In a happy Runic rhyme, To the rolling of the bellsOf the bells, bells, bells: To the tolling of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bellsBells, bells, bellsTo the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

Silver Bells

Golden Bells

Brazen Bells

Iron Bells

→

→

→

→

childhood, a merry mood

youth, church wedding.

turbulence and danger of middle age

old age, funeral knell

Indication

Conclusion

Better understanding of advertising, songs, films and literature

Better use in the future

Thank you for attention