oˈnomatopy
[f. L. onomatopœia or F. onomatopée (16th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]
= onomatopœia.
| 1658 Phillips, Onomatopy [edd. 1678–96 -pæa], the faining of a name, from any kind of sound, as Bombarda, i. a Gun, from the sounding of bom. 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) III. 219 The word tic is commonly supposed to be an onomatopy, or a sound expressive of the action it imports. a 1913 F. Rolfe Desire & Pursuit of Whole (1934) 133 ‘Launchchchchch’ was a lovely new onomatopy for the motor-boats. 1946 Word Aug. 124 Synchronic semasiology..deals with..polysemantism, affective-value, onomatopy and congeners. 1947 Ibid. III. 9 The element of onomatopy in language is too slight to invalidate the general principle. |