Thursday, March 29, 2007

Onomatopoeia

When anyone asks me what my favorite word is, my reply is always ONOMATOPOEIA. It just sounds fun, doesn't it? (on uh mot uh pee' uh) Not only that, but it stands for words that are fun. Double the fun? Who wants to resist that?

If you'd like to read some detailed information about the term, please check out this site. I don't know which grade it was in which I learned about it. But, just to prove what a big nerd I was (OK, and still am!), I thought I'd share that I used to have a large school notebook in which I'd try to catalog as many onomatopoeias as possible. The hard part was keeping them in some sort of alphabetical order to prevent duplications. (Why did I spend time on these sort of things?!?!)

This came back to me just recently as I was searching through some of my old books in my basement and found my onomatopoeia notebook. That very same evening, the nightly news featured a Chinese farmer who made a sound that he thought was imitating his chickens. It sounded nothing like our "cock-a-doodle doooo." Not even close.

For those of you who have not yet followed the link to understand about what in the world I am writing, here's a quick definition: one or more words that imitates the sound it is describing. Many are animal sounds. Others describe mechanical functions. There are hundreds from which to choose.

So my challenge goes out to anyone and everyone who is reading this blog post. It doesn't matter if you're someone who checks in from time to time or come here daily... if you've never posted or if you post each week... if you're lurking in the shadows or out in plain sight. Please just consider providing 4 or 5 onomatopoeias that you think of. The first that come to mind. It should be fun to read the long string of them aloud. Crazy thoughts for a crazy Thursday.

I'll start us out on the craziness: coo, caw, eeeyaw, tick, beep

5 comments:

lydia said...

BAM!

BANG!

HONK!

BUZZ!

Elizabeth said...

whoosh

squeek

heehaw

hiss

boom


hoot

strem said...

Thank you, Lydia. Thank you, Elizabeth. Reading your words right in a row makes me laugh.

Dani said...

I'm late but...

neigh

cluck

ker-plunk or ka-pluck... depending on where in the country you live :)

woohoot

moo (though you really say it more like, moooora)

strem said...

Dani, we'll be sure to ask you to sound out that moooo sometime. Can't wait! :)