Onomatopoeia, ideophones, phonaesthemes
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This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 6 Dec 2019, 16:03.
[comments] nlnonomatopoeiaideophonesnolwynnvocabulary
5. 2021 CoWriMo
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7. 2022 Goals
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9. 2023 Goals
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10. 2023 Lexember Roundup
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11. 2024 Goals
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13. Captative verbs
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14. Collocations
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15. Colors in Nolwynn
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21. Culture: Food Rituals
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23. Culture: Names
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24. Culture: Parenting
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25. Culture: Religion
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26. Demonstratives
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27. Discourse particles
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28. Emotion signifiers
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29. ergativity
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31. font characters
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33. Grammatical moods
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37. Intransitive Verbs
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39. Lesson #1: Verb basics
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40. Lesson #2: Verbs again
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41. Making comparisons
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42. More about pronouns
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47. Politeness and respect
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53. Relative Clauses
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55. Story mood
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57. Telling time
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58. Tulwyn vs Nolwynn
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59. Untranslatable words
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This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
Onomatopoeia: words that mimic the sound of something. For example, in English: boing, tick-tock, ka-ching
Ideophones: words that give a sound to things that don't have one. English examples include bling-bling and twinkle.
Phonaesthemes: a particular sound or sound sequence that (at least in a general way) suggests a certain meaning.
Onomatopoeia and Ideophones
Nolwynn makes extensive use of these kinds of words. They can be used as verbs [where they usually have the metaphorical meaning] or nouns [where they usually have the literal meaning].
Animals:
In addition to the meanings listed, most animal sounds can be used as the word for the animal itself. For example, using kwúúnya rather than mali to mean "bird."
| Nolwynn word | Literal Meaning | Metaphorical Usage |
|---|---|---|
| fefe | the sound of ants moving in a swarm | "fidget" or "swarm" or "fast and uncontrollable movement" |
| šušu or šuu | buzzing insect | the sound of missing the point |
| renka | frog's sound, ribbit | the sound of silence |
| nana or nanoo | horse sound | complaining, nagging |
| kwúúnya | squawk | shock or surprise |
| rera or reora | cat, meow | something useful |
| erar | dog, barking | the sound of an enraged mass of people, a mob |
| kxarákxará | cawing | bullying or being mean; the sound of bad omens |
| mekee | baby animal sound | cute pleading |
Movement:
| Nolwynn word | Literal Meaning | Metaphorical Usage |
|---|---|---|
| tswitswe | slide | denotes something slippery, simple, or easy |
| punkapanka | a heavy, clunking step | something you have to do |
| zuza | something bending | |
| sazatsa | a light, quick step | scurrying or being fast |
| šeše | itchy | something annoying |
| karonka | crush something hard or crunchy | oppression; usually used in a comedic way to refer to something really frustrating |
| sawonka | squish - to smash something sticky or soft | something that makes you feel dumb |
Nature
| Nolwynn word | Literal Meaning | Metaphorical Usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| pelabela | light rain | peace and calm | |
| onkwaa | crashing ocean waves | ||
| arokaro | green things growing | development and rejuvenation | |
| amuamu or amumu | fallen leaves rustling on the ground | changing seasons | Rarely used except by the Tulwyn |
| larelure | wind blowing across ocean waves | ||
| tsasuu | sun sparkling on water | sparkling | |
| kiriri | sunlight dappled leaves, especially when viewed from underwater | ||
| zasuzu | electricity | brainstorm |
Miscellaneous:
| Nolwynn word | Literal Meaning | Metaphorical Usage |
|---|---|---|
| núla | the sound of light | a sudden realization |
| mwaa | kissing | a kiss, romance |
| txátxá | knocking, tapping | a visitor |
| walawala | speech | indistinct chatter, meaningless babble, gossip |
| tsarazara | teeth chattering from cold or nerves | nervousness; cold |
| zšalulazšulala | something gently flapping in a breeze | daydreaming |
| awewa | something floating on the ocean waves | relaxation, calm |
| gabogabo | gobble; to eat in a messy way | piggishness; gluttony |
| karoro | giggle |
| Sound | Symbolism | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nk | something thick, big, or wide | ankozuzeyo "cable" |
| a’a | a hole or a gap | a’arinweey |
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