The question of onomotopoeia came up in a class discussion this past week.
A student questioned the form class of "Snicker-snack" (as in "the vorpal
blade went snicker-snack!"). We moved on to animal sounds, comic book sound
effects (Pow! Zap! Kerplunk!) and thoroughly amused and confused ourselves.

 

The cow says "moo."

The mooing cows moved toward the barn.

The cow smiled mooily (okay, we were goofing off by then).

 

It's easy to identify the verbs, adjectives, adverbs - but what are the
onomotopoetic words themselves? Although moo can be a noun (the cow had a
loud moo), what is snicker-snack? 

 

Kathleen Bethell

 

 


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