Cross-linguistic onomatopoeias

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Sinhala-shri.png Sinhala is written in a non-Latin script. Sinhala text used in this article is transliterated into the Latin script according to the ISO 15919 standard.

Because of the nature of onomatopoeia, there are many words which show a similar pronunciation in the languages of the world. The following is a list of some conventional examples:

Contents

Human sounds [edit]

Baby crying [edit]

Bite [edit]

Burp [edit]

Fart [edit]

Food being eaten [edit]

Heart beating [edit]

Hushing [edit]

Kiss [edit]

Laughter [edit]

  • In Arabic hà hà hà, hee hee
  • In Armenian "քա քա քա," "չա չա չա" ka ka ka, cha cha cha
  • In Asturian ḥa ḥa ḥa, ḥe ḥe ḥe
  • In Batak, kakak
  • In Bulgarian, "хахаха, хехехе, хихихи" hahaha, hehehe, hihihi
  • In Catalan, hahaha, hehehe
  • In Chinese, Mandarin hā hā 哈哈,[zho 4] hē hē 呵呵,[zho 5] xī xī 嘻嘻[zho 6]
  • In Czech, ha ha, cha cha [xa xa], chi chi [xi xi]
  • In Danish, ha ha, hi hi, hæ hæ, ho ho, ti hi
  • In Dutch, haha, hihi
  • In English, hahah, heh heh, hohoho, (tee)heehee
  • In Estonian, haha, hahhah, hehe, hehheh, hihi
  • In Finnish, haha, hahhah, hehe, hehheh, hihi, hihhih (girly)
  • In French, hahaha, héhéhé, hihihi, hohoho
  • In German, hahaha, hihihihi
  • In Greek: haha χαχα, hehe χεχε
  • In Hebrew, xà xà xà חָה־חָה־חָה[heb 1]
  • In Hungarian, haha, hehe, hihi
  • In Icelandic, haha, hehe, (tittering or laughter) híhí
  • In Indonesian, hahaha, hehehe
  • In Italian, ah, ah, eh, eh, ih, ih, uh, uh
  • In Japanese, ahaha あはは, フフ (fu fu)
  • In Korean, hahaha 하하하, kekeke 케케케
  • In Latvian, ha ha
  • In Lithuanian, cha cha
  • In Marathi, ha ha हा हा, kho kho खो खो (loud laughter)
  • In Nepali, ha, ahaha
  • In Polish, hahaha, hihi, hehe, hohoho
  • In Portuguese, hahaha, huehuehue, kakaka
  • In Romanian, ha-ha, hi-hi
  • In Russian, haha хаха, hihi хихи, hèhè хехе
  • In Serbian, hahaha хахаха, "hihihi" хихихи
  • In Spanish, jajaja, jejeje
  • In Tagalog, hahaha, hehehe, hihihi
  • In Thai, ฮ่า ๆ ๆ (hahaha)
  • In Turkish, haha, hehe, hihi (girly), kikir (girly, sarcastic), hoho (sarcastic)
  • In Vietnamese, ha ha, hi hi, hô hô

Liquid being drunk [edit]

Scream [edit]

Shriek [edit]

Sneeze [edit]

Snoring [edit]

Stuttering [edit]

Throat swallowing [edit]

Tooth brushing [edit]

Yawning [edit]

Animal sounds [edit]

Bee buzzing [edit]

Bird singing [edit]

  • In Albanian ciu-ciu
  • In Arabic siqsiq سِقسِق,gharid (to chirp) غِرد, ziw ziw ziw زِيد زِيد زِيد
  • In Armenian "ճիւ ճիւ," jiv jiv
  • In Basque (Euskara), txio txio
  • In Bosnian, čip čip
  • In Bulgarian, chik-chirik чик-чирик
  • In Catalan, piu piu
  • In Chinese, Mandarin jī jī zhā zhā 叽叽喳喳[zho 10]
  • In Czech, píp píp, cvrliki
  • In Danish, pip pip
  • In Dutch, twiet twiet, tjierp, tjielp, tsjilp
  • In English, chirp chirp, tweet tweet, cheep cheep, peep peep
  • In Estonian, siuts siuts, siit siit, tsirr tsirr, sirts sirts, siu siu
  • In Finnish, tsirp tsirp, tviit, piip piip, ti-ti-tyy (Great Tit)
  • In French, cui cui, piou piou
  • In German, piep piep /peep, peep/, tschiep
  • In Greek, tsiu tsiu τσίου τσίου
  • In Hebrew, tsif tsif צִיף־צִיף,[heb 4] tswits tswits צְוִיץ־צְוִיץ[heb 4]
  • In Hindi, cheh cheh
  • In Hungarian, csip-csirip
  • In Icelandic, "bíbí"
  • In Indonesian, "cit-cit"
  • In Italian, cip cip, pio pio (chick)
  • In Japanese, it varies: (chick) ピヨ ピヨ (piyo piyo), ひいひい (hī, hī), chun chun チュンチュン
  • In Korean, jjek jjek 짹짹
  • In Latvian, čiu čiu, čiv čiv
  • In Lithuanian, čik čirik, čyru vyru
  • In Macedonian, churulic churulic чурулик чурулик
  • In Malayalam, "coo coo"
  • In Polish, ćwir ćwir, fiu-fiu (and others)
  • In Portuguese, piu piu
  • In Romanian, cip cirip, piu piu
  • In Russian, chiric-chiric чирик-чирик, chic-chiric чик-чирик, chiv-chiv чив-чив
  • In Sinhalese, kumu kumu කුමු-කුමු
  • In Slovak, píp píp, čvirik, čvirik
  • In Slovene, čiv čiv
  • In Spanish, pío, pío
  • In Swedish, kvitt, kvitt
  • In Tagalog, twit twit twit
  • In Tamil, koo, koo
  • In Thai, จิ๊บ ๆ (chip chip)
  • In Turkish, cik cik /dʒik dʒik/
  • In Ukrainian, t'okh-t'okh тьох-тьох, fit'-fit' фіть-фіть
  • In Vietnamese, chíp chíp

Cat meowing [edit]

Chicken clucking [edit]

Cow mooing [edit]

Crow calling [edit]

Dog barking [edit]

Dog or wolf howling [edit]

Donkey braying [edit]

Duck calling [edit]

Eagle soaring [edit]

  • In Batak, kuliii-kulikuk

Elephant trumpeting [edit]

Frog croaking [edit]

This may differ according to the species of frog common in each language's speech area.

Goose calling [edit]

Horse whinnying [edit]

Horse trotting [edit]

  • In Bulgarian, tagadak tagadak (тъгъдък тъгъдък)
  • In Dutch, kataklop kataklop
  • In English, clip clop
  • In Finnish, kopoti kopoti, koppoti koppoti
  • In French, Pa-ta-clop
  • In Hungarian, klop-klop-klop
  • In Italian, clop-clop-clop, cloppete clappete
  • In Latvian, klap klap
  • In Polish, "patataj patataj"
  • In Portuguese, pocotó pocotó
  • In [(Romanian language|Romanian)], trop trop
  • In Russian, tsok-tsok цок-цок
  • In Thai, กุบกับ กุบกับ (kupkap kupkap)
  • In Turkish, dıgı-dıg dıgı-dıg

Lion roaring [edit]

Monkey chatting [edit]

Owl hooting [edit]

Pig grunting [edit]

Rooster crowing [edit]

Sheep bleating [edit]

Snake hissing [edit]

Collisions, bursts, and strikes [edit]

Balloon or bubble bursting [edit]

Cannon firing; gunshot; machine gun fire [edit]

  • In Albanian, pam; tak
  • In Arabic, bom; bov, tokh طخ
  • In Bulgarian, "бум"(bum), "кх"(kh), тататата (tatatata)
  • In Catalan, buuum, pumba; pam, pum; ratatatatà
  • In Chinese, Mandarin, pēng 砰; ping, pa 乒, 啪; da da da... 嗒嗒嗒[citation needed]
  • In Czech, bum, prásk, ratatata
  • In Danish, bang, bum
  • In Dutch, boem; pang, pauw; ratatata
  • In English, bam, boom, blam, kaboom; bang, pow; rat-at-at-at-at-at, gat-gat-gat-gat, dakka-dakka
  • In Estonian, põmm, kõmm; pauh, karpauh
  • In Finnish, pum; pam; ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, rä-tä-tä-tä-tä-tä
  • In French, boum; pan
  • In German, bumm, rumms, kawumm; peng, puff, päng; rat-tat-tat-tat
  • In Greek, cabum, bum μπουμ, bam μπαμ; bam, pan, piu-piu (mainly by kids); trrrrrr
  • In Hebrew, bum בּוּם
  • In Hindi, thaa
  • In Hungarian bumm, dörr; ratata, trrrrr
  • In Icelandic, búmm; bamm
  • In Indonesian, dor,
  • In Italian, bum; bang; pum
  • In Japanese, バーンバーン (bān bān), dōn ドーン, bakyūn バキューン
  • In Kannada, dum, dhaam
  • In Kazakh, bydyrsch быдырщ
  • In Korean, bbang
  • In Latvian, bum
  • In Lithuanian, bumpt, bum, pokšt
  • In Macedonian, bum бум; pau пау; ra ta ta ta ра та та та
  • In Polish, bum-bum; bang-bang, pif-paf and others; tra ta ta ta ta
  • In Portuguese, bam, boom, cabum; ,pum; ratátátá
  • In Romanian, bum; poc
  • In Russian, ba-bakh ба-бах; pif-paf пиф-паф; ta-ta-ta та-та-та
  • In Sinhalese, ḍisum ඩිසුම්; ḍung ඩුං; ḍaka-ḍaka-ḍaka ඩක-ඩක-ඩක
  • In Spanish, pum; bang; praca
  • In Swedish, bom; pang, bang
  • In Tagalog, boom; boogsh
  • In Tamil, dishum
  • In Telugu, dhaam
  • In Thai, ตูม (tuum, cannon firing); ปัง (pang, gunshot)
  • In Turkish, bom; bam, dıkşınyaa (by kids)
  • In Vietnamese, đoàng (louder); pằng (quieter); bùm (usually for cannons)

Crash [edit]

Door or floor creaking [edit]

Engine back-firing while freewheeling [edit]

Knocking [edit]

Strikes [edit]

Dull strike [edit]

Falling strike [edit]

Sharp strike [edit]

Wet strike [edit]

Machinery [edit]

Camera shutter [edit]

Car engine revving [edit]

Car horn honking [edit]

Clock ticking [edit]

A sign in a shop window in Italy proclaims "No Tic Tac".

Doorbell ringing [edit]

Keyboard striking [edit]

  • In Batak, tik tik
  • In Bulgarian, "трак-трак" (track-track)
  • In Catalan txiquiti-txiquiti, txic txic.
  • In Czech, klik, ťuk ťuk
  • In Dutch: tik tik
  • In English: click click, click clack, taka taka
  • In Estonian klõp klõp klõp
  • In Finnish: klik klik, klik klak, naks, naputinap
  • In French: clic clic
  • In German: klack klack klack (typewriter), tipp tipp tipp (computer)
  • In Hebrew, klik klik, קְלִיק־קְלִיק[heb 9]
  • In Italian, clic clic, tip tap
  • In Japanese, kata kata カタカタ
  • In Polish, klik klik
  • In Russian, klatz-klatz клац-клац, pityuk-pityuk питюк-питюк
  • In Tagalog, chu ku chu ku chuk
  • In Thai, ก้อกแก้ก (kokkaek)
  • In Turkish, tıkı tıkı tıkı, tıkır tıkır
  • In Vietnamese, lạch cạch

Telephone ringing [edit]

Siren wailing [edit]

Train whistling [edit]

Physical and natural phenomena [edit]

Electric flowing (buzzing) [edit]

Electric shock [edit]

Fire [edit]

Lightning [edit]

Steam hissing [edit]

Thunder [edit]

  • In Batak, rapak, maturapak, dugu-dugu-dugu
  • In English, roll, rumble
  • In Finnish, jyrin, jylin
  • In German, groll, grummel
  • In Japanese, goro goro ゴロゴロ
  • In Russian, tararam тарарам, tram-tararam трам-тарарам

Water dripping [edit]

White Water [edit]

Wind blowing or waves flowing [edit]

  • In Bengali, ভোঁ bhõ, শন শন shôn shôn, ঝির ঝির jhir jhir
  • In Bulgarian, фииуу (fiiuu) wind blowing
  • In Chinese, Mandarin, fuuu
  • In Czech, fíííí
  • In Dutch, woesh, woesj
  • In English, whoo, whoosh, swish, rustle, whine, whizz, whistle, wheeze, howl, zoom, sigh, sough, surf
  • In Finnish, viuuh
  • In French, frou-frou, vromb, murmur, hurl
  • In German, huiiih, wutsch, saus, rausch, wein, schwirr, heul, zoom, surr, seufz
  • In Greek, fru fru φρού φρού, sfýrigh σφύριγ, url ούρλ, sýrigh σύριγ, thýr θυρ
  • In Hindi, sarr sarr, saayein saayein
  • In Hungarian, hiss-huss, huss
  • In Italian, fiuu, fisch, mormor, url, sussurr
  • In Japanese, byuu byuu, pyuu pyuu, zawa zawa, soyo soyo
  • In Korean, whuing-whuing 윙윙
  • In Lithuanian, ššš
  • In Macedonian, fuuuu fuuuu фуууу фуууу
  • In Polish, szszszsz, huuuuuu
  • In Portuguese, Vuuuush
  • In Romanian, vâj
  • In Russian, uu-u уу-у
  • In Spanish, fuuuu fuuuu, fgrrrr frgrrrr, aul, zumb, susurr
  • In Swedish, svisch
  • In Tagalog, fuuuu fuuuu
  • In Tamil, shhhhhhhhhh
  • In Thai, วิ้ว วิ้ว (wio wio), ฟิ้ว ฟิ้ว (fio fio)
  • In Turkish, vuuuu vuuuu
  • In Vietnamese, vi vu, vù vù; rì rào, xào xạc (rustling)

Others [edit]

Jingling [edit]

References [edit]

English words [edit]

  1. ^ "wah-wah" from the Oxford English Dictionary

Greek words [edit]

  1. ^ http://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/modern_greek/tools/lexica/triantafyllides/search.html?lq=%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%AC&dq=

Hebrew words [edit]

  1. ^ "חָה חָה חָה" in Morfix online dictionary
  2. ^ "Ouch" in Morfix online dictionary
  3. ^ "אַפְּצִ'י" in Morfix online dictionary
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Animals sounds in Hebrew, HaSafa-HaIvrit (The Hebrew Language) web site (in Hebrew)
  5. ^ "Bang" in Babylon dictionary
  6. ^ "תּוּק תּוּק" in Morfix online dictionary
  7. ^ "זְבֶּנְג" in Morfix online dictionary
  8. ^ "תִּיק־תַּק" in Morfix online dictionary
  9. ^ "קְלִיק" in Morfix online dictionary
  10. ^ "דִינְג־דוֹנְג" in Morfix online dictionary

Japanese words [edit]

  1. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%8A%E3%81%8E%E3%82%83%E3%81%82&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=102476500000
  2. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%82%80%E3%81%97%E3%82%83%E3%82%80%E3%81%97%E3%82%83&stype=0&dtype=0
  3. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%82%82%E3%81%90%E3%82%82%E3%81%90&stype=0&dtype=0
  4. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%83%91%E3%82%AF%E3%83%91%E3%82%AF&stype=0&dtype=0
  5. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%81%A9%E3%81%8D%E3%81%A9%E3%81%8D&stype=0&dtype=0
  6. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%8D%E3%82%83&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=0&index=104697200000&pagenum=1
  7. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%81%AF%E3%81%8F%E3%81%97%E3%82%87%E3%82%93&stype=0&dtype=0
  8. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%81%90%E3%81%86%E3%81%90%E3%81%86&stype=0&dtype=0
  9. ^ http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%81%94%E3%81%8F%E3%81%A3&stype=0&dtype=0

Portuguese words [edit]

  1. ^ http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trem_da_alegria

Chinese words [edit]

  1. ^ "哇哇" in Han Dian online dictionary
  2. ^ "怦怦" in Han Dian online dictionary
  3. ^ "嘘" in Han Dian online dictionary
  4. ^ "哈哈" in Han Dian online dictionary
  5. ^ "呵呵" in Han Dian online dictionary
  6. ^ "嘻嘻" in Han Dian online dictionary
  7. ^ "阿嚏" in Han Dian online dictionary
  8. ^ "呼噜" in Han Dian online dictionary
  9. ^ "嗡嗡" in Han Dian online dictionary
  10. ^ "叽叽喳喳" in Han Dian online dictionary
  11. ^ "喵" in Han Dian online dictionary
  12. ^ "哞" in Han Dian online dictionary
  13. ^ "哑哑" in Han Dian online dictionary
  14. ^ "汪汪" in Han Dian online dictionary
  15. ^ "嚎" in Han Dian online dictionary
  16. ^ "嘎嘎" in Han Dian online dictionary
  17. ^ a b "呱呱" in Han Dian online dictionary
  18. ^ "吼" in Han Dian online dictionary
  19. ^ "咩" in Han Dian online dictionary
  20. ^ "哐啷" in Han Dian online dictionary
  21. ^ "嘀嗒" in Han Dian online dictionary
  22. ^ "滴答" in Han Dian online dictionary
  23. ^ "叮铃" in Han Dian online dictionary
  24. ^ "叮当" in Han Dian online dictionary

External links [edit]