オノマトペ
おのまとぺ
noun
onomatopoeia; sound symbolism
1.
onomatopoeia; mimetic word; sound symbolism
A broad term encompassing both sound-imitating words (giongo/giseigo) and state-describing words (gitaigo) in Japanese, which form a rich and essential part of the language.
日本語はオノマトペが豊富だ。
Japanese is rich in onomatopoeia.
「わくわく」や「どきどき」はオノマトペの例だ。
'Waku-waku' and 'doki-doki' are examples of onomatopoeia.
漫画にはオノマトペが多く使われていて、場面の臨場感を高めている。
Manga use a lot of onomatopoeia, heightening the sense of being in the scene.
Borrowed from French "onomatopée." In Japanese linguistics, オノマトペ is an umbrella term covering three subcategories:
SUBCATEGORIES:
- 擬音語: words imitating sounds of non-living things (e.g., ざあざあ for rain)
- 擬声語: words imitating sounds of living things (e.g., わんわん for barking)
- 擬態語: words describing states or feelings, not actual sounds (e.g., きらきら for sparkling)
Japanese has an extraordinarily rich system of onomatopoeia compared to most other languages, with thousands of these words used in everyday speech, literature, and especially manga.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- オノマトペを使う: to use onomatopoeia
- オノマトペが豊富: rich in onomatopoeia
- オノマトペ表現: onomatopoeic expression
SIMILAR TERMS:
- 擬音語: onomatopoeia (in the narrow sense) — words imitating sounds
- 擬態語: mimetic words — words describing states or conditions
- 音象徴: sound symbolism — the academic term