Lecture Notes on Language and Onomatopoeia

Key Concepts

• Arbitrary Relationship of Words and Concepts
  • Words represent concepts through convention, not inherent qualities.
  • Example: "pencil" in English, "Bleistift" in German, "lápiz" in Spanish, and "পেন্সিল" in Bengali.
  • Linguist Ferdinand de Saussure observed that there's no natural relationship between words and their meanings.

Onomatopoeia

• Definition: Words that mimic the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
  • Examples: "boom," "chuckle," "hiccup," "cock-a-doodle-do."
  • Origin of the term: From Greek "onoma" (name) and "poiein" (to make).

Saussure's Perspective

• Discussion on Onomatopoeia: Saussure noted that onomatopoeic words differ across languages.
  • Example: The sound of a rooster's crow varies:
    • English: "cock-a-doodle-do"
    • French: "cocorico"
    • German: "kikeriki"
  • Hiccups also sound different: "hiccup" (English), "hoquet" (French), "hipo" (Spanish).
• Conclusion: Understanding sounds involves both the physical sound and the linguistic context.
  • Onomatopoeias blend natural sound with linguistic interpretation.

Poetic Examples

• William Carlos Williams’ Poem: "The Injury" (1946)
  • Imagery: The speaker hears a train engine described as "breathing".
  • Lines that mimic sound: "Soft coal, soft coal, soft coal!"
  • The repetition echoes the chuffing of a coal train, creating an onomatopoetic effect.
  • Words "soft" and "coal" are not onomatopoeic, but their arrangement evokes sound, blending natural and linguistic elements.

Discussion Prompt

• Encourage sharing of additional examples of onomatopoeia or onomatopoetic effects in the comments.