Onomatopoeia in English and Indonesian

     Onomatopoeia in English and Indonesian

                            Written by Ari Julianto

I. Meaning of Onomatopoeia

In some respects, the study of the processes whereby new words into being a language like English seems relatively straightforward. People can very quickly understand a new word in their own language, and accept the use of different forms of that new word. This ability must derive in part from the fact that there is a lot of regularity in the Word-formation processes in the language.

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It should be remembered that these processes have been at work in the language for some time and many words in daily use today were, at one time, considered barbaric misuses of the language. Yule (200:164) explained that: "It is difficult now to understand the views expressed in the early ninetieth century over the 'tasteless innovation' of a word like handbook, or the horror expressed by a London newspaper in 1909 over the use of newly coined word aviation. Yet many terms of recent currency cause similar outcries."

Rather than acts as if the language is being debased, we might prefer to view the constant evolution of new terms und new uses of old terms as a reassuring sign of vitality and creativeness in the way a language is shaped by the needs of its users. Let us consider some kinds of the word formation processes below that is according to Yule (2001:66).

The formation or use of words such as buzzes murmur that imitates the sounds associated with the objects or action they refer to. The word onomatopoeia is taken from literal or Latin, Namely: onomatoplolia or onomatopoios. And onomatopoeia in language is the representing of a sound by an imitation there of, e.g., the cat news.

Meanwhile, Daughlas (1999: 1) said that onomatopoeia is the use of words whose pronunciation imitates the sound the word describes, "buzz" for example when spoken is intended to resemble the sound of a flying insect. Other examples include these: slam, pow, screech, whirr, crush, sizzle, crunch, wring, wrench, gouge, grind, mangle, bang, blam, pow, zap, fizz, urp, roar, growl, blip, click, whimper, and of course snap, crackle, and pop. Note that the connection between sound and pronunciation is sometimes rather a product of imagination (slam and wring are not very good imitations), and note also that written language retains an aural quality, so that even unspoken your writing has a sound to it.

In rhetoric, linguistic and poetry, onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that employs a word, or occasionally, a grouping of words, that imitates, echoes, or suggest the object it is describing, such as  "bang", "click", "fizz", "hush" or animal noises such as " moa" quack or " meow". They are also a very common feature of comic strip writing, where words such as "Pow" or "ka - pwing" help the reader to better image what is being described, and make up for the lack of literary description.

Daughlas (1999:1) says that onomatopoeia words exist in every language, although they are different in each. Examples:

a. In Latin, tuxtay was the equivalent of "bam' or "whack" and was meant to imitate the sound of blows landing,

b. In ancient Greek, koax was used as the sound of the frog cooking,

c. In Japanese, doki..doki is used to indicate the beating of a heart,

d. Where as in Hindi, the word dhadak (pr. Dhub - uck) is the word for a person is heartbeat, indicative of the sound of one single beat.

Sometimes onomatopoeia words are very tenuous relationship with the object the description, such as "bow-wow" in English and "wang…wong" in Chinese for the sound a dog makes. Some animals are named after the sounds they make, especially common in certain languages such as Maori and therefore in name for bird borrowed from these languages.

II. English Onomatopoeia

Occasionally, words for things are created from representations of the sounds these objects make. English, for example, there is the universal fastener, which is named for the onomatopoeic of the sound it makes, the "zip" (in the UK) less onomatopoeically "zipper" in the U.S.

Daughlas (1999:3) mentions that many birds are named from the onomatopoeic link with the calls they make, such as the Bob White quail, Chickadee, the cuckoo, the whoopy crane, and the whip-poor-will. In Pop culture, onomatopoeia appeared in some periods. In the 1960, TV series of "Batman" used some onomatopoeia such as "whack" and crunch that appeared on screen when said sound are made during fight scene.

Much onomatopoeia involved into full-feuded slang and eventually work they're into recognized words. Some examples include "ibang", which is common slang in ebonies. And hip hop, always urban slang in the term bagging process with a hard en sound as in the common alternate spelling hanging which means good, as in this "sfoo" is banging. This is also seen with word like "rat tat tat tat tat tat", a reference to gunfire. This can be sheriff in pop music and other music, slang, sub cultures and such as well as seen in the Harson's song "MMM BOP".

From 1997 and until 2003 there existed a progressive rock group called onomatopoeia. They played a rough cut symphonic rock composition. The band originated from mode, a town on the western Norwegian.

There is a loss in translation between physical actions and written interpretation. The loss was in interpretation between written interpretation and drawing as narrative. Drawing narrative as action and action as sound and sounds as description of intangibles with in space. Who reads comic? Do the users really understand or decipher the letters? Comics have transformed into animations on TV and computer games. Comics are consistent forms of beginning and adult readings, and comic books are predominantly fantasy. Comic books are escapism as Daughlas (1999:6) stated.

1. Sounds of Animal

For animal sounds, the following words are typically used in English. Some of these examples are taken from Mc Mordie (1970:  97).

Bee - "buzz",   Bird - "chirp", "tweet" Cat - "mereow" "miaow", "meow" ,"miow", "purr",   Chickadee - "chickadee", Chicken- "cluck", "cackle", "bawk", Cricket - "chirp", Crow- "caw", Cow -"moo', Dog - "woof", 'arf","grrr", Dove - 'coo", Dolphin - "click", Duck- "Quack", Flies - "buzz", Frog - "ribbit', "croak'. Note: many species of frog make different calls, Goat - "baa", Horse - "neigh", "winny', "snort", Owl - "hoo" or 'hoot", Insects - 'buzz", Lion - "roar", "rawr" Mouse -"squeak" Pigeon - "coo" Rooster- "tiktilaok" (PH), Turkey- "gobble" Snake-'hiss" Pig - 'oink", "wee-wee-wee", Sheep -"baa" Wolf-"howl", "aroo"

From the above examples, we can see that in English, most of the animals may produce their specific sounds. Different animals have different sounds, but some animals have the same sounds.

2. Sounds of Things

a. Some very common English-language examples of things sounds include:

Bang, Beep, Booing, Boom, Burp, Clap, Crackle, Hiccup, Ping pong, Plop, Poof, Thud, Tick-tock, Squish, Swoosh, Zap, Ka-boom, Ding-don,  Bam.

b. Machine sounds

Some very common of machine sounds are usually described with:

Automobile (horn) - "honk"

Automobile (engine) - "vroom"

Automobile (tires) "screech" for the tires

Train  (crossing a junction) - "clickety-clack",

Train (whistle) - "choo-choo"

Train (cash register) - "ka-ching"

Camera - "click"

Telephone - "ring"

Riffle/gun - "bang"

From the above examples, we can see that this sounds has the largest and various in numbers. The thing cannot produce their own sounds without the help from the third person to produce the sound that the things make.

3. Sounds of Nature

Some very common of nature sounds are usually described with:

Wind - "wuizz", Water - "splash", Tree breaking - "crack"     , Light - "flash", Bulb - "blab".

Sound of nature is the least one among the three above. From the examples we obtain, we can see that the sound that the nature produce is not far from the characteristics of the nature.

III. Indonesian Onomatopoeia

In Indonesia language, the term of onomatopoeia is called onomatope. Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia of National Education Department (2005: 799) explains that onomatope is word that imitated the sounds or the voice of something produces, like the sound of a mouse is "cicit" and "kokok" is the sound of a cock.

Hanafi (1986: 37) says that onomatope or onomatopoeia is a word whose sound imitates the actual sound to which it refers, such as "gedebuk", "braak", and "kukuruyuk".  Poets use this onomatope or onomatopoeia in which the words they use sound like the very things being named or written about.

Onomatope or onomatopoeia has no limits to its usage. It is a long usage that can fit in many subjects. Having a voice and an ear one prerequisite it, unless one is without the use of hearing and speaking. Syahbana (2005: 2) says that just like English, in Indonesian language, onomatopoeia is formed from the sound it produces. Even there are some Names of the products taken from the sounds that it produces, such "mesin tik", "penjepret", "pemantik" and some others.

Syahbana (2005: 4) stated that in Indonesian, the sounds of animals do show a lot of variations. Meanwhile natural sounds other than the ones animals make are more interesting to observe because being remote from the human vocal apparatus. 

In Bahasa Indonesia natural sounds are challenged to the imaginations, but they are also much harder. The sound of a cat or a dog makes is easily identifiable everywhere, but when a heavy objects falls, the sound it makes varies according to what it is or what it falls on and different cultures that Indonesia has such as Java, Batak, Sunda, Papua, etc are going to divide up natural sounds in endless different ways. Besides, speakers of other native languages will choose to imitate natural sounds we don not even think of mimicking.

Let us see the things that just three cultures unrelated languages, choose to imitate (though transcribing the syllables they use would require too many phonetic symbols). For examples: The sound of a thing falls: it may produce, gedebuk, buuk, bruuk, gedubrak, gedebak, etc.

1. Sounds of Animal

For animal sounds, the following words are typically used in Indonesian. Some of these examples are taken from Moelyono (1988: 54)

Bee - "ngung" or "berdengung", Bird - "cicit", or "menicicit", Cat - "ngeong" or "mengeong", Chicken- "cicit" or "mencicit",  Crow- "gak..gak", Cow -"moo", "boo" or "melenguh", Dog - "guk…guk" or "menggonggong", Duck- "Kwek", Flies - "nguung" or "berdengung", Goat - "mbeek" or "mengembik", Horse - "hiii" or "meringkik", Lion - "aum" or "mengaum", Mouse -"ciit…ciit" or "mencicit", Rooster- "kukuruyuk" or "berkokok", Snake-'ssss" or "mendesis", Wolf-"auuu" or "melolong", Hen - "kotek" or "berkotek",

If we take a look back at those animals sounds, we can see some interesting habits across languages. The sound of the cat makes almost always begins with "m" as does the cow "moo" in English. There are probably some general human tendencies here too, probably exceeding primitive ones. Notice the way the thin sound that most small birds make is in like vowel in every one of the examples above.

From the examples above in Bahasa Indonesia, we could see that the verbs play an important role in creating some sentences. Although there are not verbs for the animals sound available.

2. Sounds of Things

a. Some very common Indonesian-language examples of things sounds include:

dor, bib, toing, buuk, puk, kretek, clup, kreek, sreet, tik..tik, toing, byaar, ting, tong, duar.

b. Machine sounds

Some very common of machine sounds in Indonesian language are usually described with:

Automobile (horn) - "tin..tin"

Automobile (engine) - "bruum"

Automobile (tires) "ciit" for the tires

Train  (crossing a junction) - "jus..jus", “juk gijak gijuk”

Train (whistle) - "tuut…tut"

Camera - "ckick" or "jepret"

Telephone - "kring" or "dring"

Riffle/gun - "dor"

3. Sounds of Nature

Some very common of nature sounds in Indonesian language are usually described with:

Wind - "siiir", Water - "cprat", Tree breaking - "kreek", Light - "gledar", Bulb - "duar".

In Indonesian language the sound produced can be used as a verb and as a noun. For examples:

A goat "mbeek" , Kami mendengar kambing itu mengembik (verb)

A door opened forcedly "dobrak", Polisi mendobrak pintu kamar para penjahat itu (verb)

A cigarette burn "kretek", Ayah membeli rokok kretek (noun)

A typewriter "tik…tik", Sekretaris itu menulis surat dengan sebuah mesin tik (noun).

From the above explanation and examples, we can see that onomatopoeia in Indonesian is not far different from English. And surely English onomatopoeia is not far different as well from any other language in this world. The sound of animal in Bahasa Indonesia has various sounds. Some animals may produce the same sounds from different animals. This also happens to English.

The verbs that support the existence of onomatopoeia in Bahasa Indonesia is very useful in creating some new sounds words, either from animals, things, and nature. Although we can see the verbs do not exist in the things, because the things need the third person to produce the sound.

Reference

Daughlas, Jim. 1999. The Use of Onomatopoeia and the examples in English. http// www.google.com./onomatopoeia.

Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. 2005.  Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia. Jakarta: Balai Pustaka.

Hanafi, Nurachman. 1986. Teori dan Seni Menerjemahkan. Ende: Nusa Indah.

Moeliono, Anton. 1988. Tata Bahasa Baku Indonesia. Jakarta: Balai Pustaka

Mordie, Mc. W. 1970. English Idioms and How to Use Them. London: Oxford University Press.

Syahbana, Ahmad. 2005. Onomatope dalam Bahasa Indonesia. http// www.google.com./onomatope in Bahasa Indonesia.

Yule, George. 2001. The Study Of Language. Cambridge University Press.