SOUNDS GALORE

When sounds turn into words: 10 onomatopoeias explained

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Onomatopoeias truly take the music of language to the next level, since the sole function of these words is to imitate or suggest the sound they are describing. Think about the big flashy letters popular in comic books, the "Boom!" and "Kapow!" that appear whenever your favorite superhero fights the bad guys: In our opinion, those images are the perfect description of what an onomatopeia is. As you’d expect, the different sounds of each particular language result in different sounding onomatopoeias: The "bang" we Americans associate with a cowboy showdown would be represented in Spanish by pum! or in Czech by prásk! Bearing that in mind, we have selected ten very different onomatopoeias from around the world that describe the exact same sound. Enjoy!

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We’ll start this article in the same way that millions of farmers start their day: With the sound of a rooster singing. English has the classic onomatopoeia "cock a doodle doo", but several languages have come up with different ways to describe this very specific sound.

For instance, Spanish speakers know this sound as kikiriki, while Japanese people call it kokekokkō and German kikeriki. Interestingly, the Irish language’s version of this onomatopoeia is cuc-adiú-dil-ú, which seems to share a root with the English "cock a doodle doo".

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Not unlike a child’s Speak ‘N Say, you’ll quickly notice that several of the entries in this article describe animal sounds. This time, we’ll focus on humankind’s best friend. Do you sometimes feel your dog is talking to you whenever he wants an extra pat behind his ears? You are not alone: Dogs have inspired a plethora of different onomatopoeias, all seeking to describe all the wonderful sounds our canine friends make.

In that sense, the English language has it easy: The onomatopoeia "bark" is exactly the same as the verb used to describe this action. However, other languages have different takes: Spanish has guau guau, while Mandarin has wāng wāng. Russian has two different onomatopoeias depending on the size of the dog, using gav gav for big dogs and tyaf tyaf for smaller ones.

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Have you ever realized that the sound of the train we imitate to entertain a small child is actually comprised of two different onomatopoeias? Think about it: The "chugga chugga" part describes the train wheels running over the tracks, only interrupted by the occasional "choo choo" of the whistle. Regardless, this sound is mimicked by millions of parents approaching a spoonful of baby food to the mouth of a reluctant child, so it stands to reason it varies according to each language.

The Korean language has chik chik pok pok to describe this sound, while Italian uses tu tuu ciuf ciuf. On the other hand, several countries have onomatopoeias similar to the English "choo", including the Spanish chu chu, the French tchou tchou or the Slovenian ču ču.

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Catching some Zs doesn’t mean sleeping in other languages, so if you want to be able to snore accordingly when visiting, you’ll have to learn the different onomatopoeias that describe heavy sleeping. Now, if you need a frame of reference that combines all these different sounds, think of whenever cartoon characters are shown deeply asleep, complete with white nightgowns and sleeping hats: That image perfectly represents all the onomatopoeias we’ll see next.

While "zzz" is now the universal symbol of sleeping, the words that describe the act of sleeping vary. For instance, the Swedish language has snark, while Indonesian has grookkk. Other examples include the Catalan rau-rau, the Turkish hor and the Korean deureureong.

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And after a short detour, we are back to animal sounds! And who better to welcome us back to this rich vein of onomatopoeias than this farmyard favorite? Pig sounds are a childhood favorite, probably due to the odd manner on which they are produced. In that sense, the raspy intake of air we use to imitate this sound is definitively difficult to translate into words, so it seems only natural that so many different onomatopoeias exist for it.

The traditional English "oink oink" is the equivalent of very dissimilar words like the Albanian hunk-hunk, the Basque kurrin-kurrin and the Norwegian nøff nøff. However, you might be surprised to learn that other languages like Spanish, Italian and German use the same oink oink we do.

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From cowboys to knights, horses are the perfect companions for daring adventurers: They are fast, brave, and, above all, loyal. In that sense, scores of words depicting the various sounds that horses make have sprawled virtually in every language. We could feature any of them in this article (for instance, the difference between the English "neigh" and other onomatopoeias like the French hiii hiii), but we decided to focus on the sound horses make while trotting, described in English by the word "clip-clop".

The unmistakable sound of hooves striking against the ground has been represented by several words throughout the years. For example, the Spanish language uses the onomatopoeia tucutun tucutun, while Portuguese has pocotó pocotó. Other entries include the Italian cloppete clappete, the Japanese gara-gara and the Danish gadagung gadagung.

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Is there anything better than sitting in front of a fireplace on a cold winter day? We can’t truly think of anything more relaxing than the crackle of a soothing fire filling a cozy room. Add a cup of tea and a good book to the mix, and you got yourself a perfect winter plan! In any case, these delightful sounds have inspired some equally delightful onomatopoeias.

The English "crackle crackle" can be translated to knister knister in German, rip-rop in Hungarian or trzask in Polish. Curiously, the Japanese pachi pachi is also used to describe several other small sounds, like popping bubblewrap.

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This onomatopoeia doesn’t just describe eating: Chomping involves eating with gusto, to eagerly enjoy a meal or to devour something after an extended fasting. Bearing that in mind, these next words also perfectly describe the sounds of this frenzied intake, however different they might sound to the English "chomp".

Some of these words obviously share a root. For instance, the Spanish ñam ñam, the German mampf and the French miam sound remarkably similar. The Japanese word for chomping, however, is exceptionally noteworthy, as it has inspired one of the most recognizable icons in video-game history: The name Pac-man comes from the Japanese words paku paku, which means chomping down food.

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Of all the entries in this list, "quack" is probably the one closest to a universal onomatopoeia. After all, it seems to perfectly describe duck calling: You can almost feel the letters that compose this word forming whenever you hear a duck in the distance. Nevertheless, there are a few different terms for the sounds our favorite waterfowl makes.

As we said, several languages use variations of "quack quack", like German (quak quak), Greek (kuak kuak) or Polish (kwa kwa). However, other countries use very different onomatopoeias, like the Danish rap rap, the French coin coin, or the Icelandic bra bra.

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We’ll end with what many consider the quintessential onomatopoeia. "Crash" sometimes feels interchangeable with other words that denote hitting like "wham" or "pow". However, there’s something about this onomatopoeia that makes it stand out against the rest: It feels like the definitive comic book exclamation, the one that leaves a heavier impact. Having said that, have you ever wondered how it fared against similar expressions from other languages?

For starters, this word is used all around the world: Some languages like German employ the similarly spelled krach to describe this sound, while others like Portuguese or Spanish directly use crash. What’s rather interesting is that the sound made from hitting something has inspired one of the oldest onomatopoeias we know: The Latin play Persa, written by Titus Maccius Plautus, employs the words tux tax to represent these sounds.

THE LANGUAGE OF POWER

White House Lingo: 10 Essential Political Terms Decoded

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Politics can sometimes feel like a maze of jargon and buzzwords (almost as if it were designed to obfuscate newcomers). The truth is that even seasoned journalists and experts can get confused sometimes, so feeling lost in this linguistic mess is nothing to be ashamed of!

To help navigate this complex landscape, we've decoded 10 essential political terms that will help you engage more meaningfully with the complex world of politics.

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A caucus is a meeting of members of a political party or movement to discuss and deliberate on issues, select candidates, and determine policy positions. While the exact etymology of the word is not known, it is speculated that it could have been derived from the Algonquian word for "counsel."

Unlike primaries, caucuses involve open discussions and multiple rounds of voting, making them a more interactive and participatory form of democratic decision-making. In some special cases, voters aren’t even required to register with a political party to take part in the caucus.

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Donkeys and elephants have been iconic symbols of the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively, at least since the 19th century.

The donkey was first associated with the Democrats during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, while the elephant became linked to the Republicans thanks to a political cartoon by Thomas Nast. Today, these two symbols are widely recognized and used to represent the two major political parties in the United States.

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Gerrymandering is the controversial practice of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to favor one party over another. By strategically redrawing district lines, politicians can dilute the voting power of certain communities or consolidate their own support base.

The term is a portmanteau of the word salamander and Elbridge Gerry, a politician who - during his tenure as governor of Massachusetts in 1812 - signed a bill that created a partisan district in the Boston area, at the time compared to the shape of a salamander.

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Another highly controversial figure, the filibuster is a tactic used in legislative bodies to delay or block a vote on a proposed bill. It involves a member of the assembly speaking for an extended period, often on unrelated topics, to prevent the bill from reaching a vote.

The stalling practice is as old as democracy, and one of its first recorded practitioners was the Roman senator Cato the Younger. Extensively used in the United States Senate, the only current way to effectively end a filibuster is a procedure called "cloture," though a minimum of 16 senators must sign the petition.

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Lobbying refers to the efforts of individuals or groups to influence government decisions, typically by advocating for specific policies or legislation. Lobbyists often work on behalf of corporations, interest groups, or nonprofits to sway lawmakers in their favor.

There are even professional lobbyists, hired by various organizations to aid their cause. Though the practice of lobbying is not illegal per se, it is often considered controversial as it can lead to elected officials failing to serve the public interest in favor of special interest groups.

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Bipartisanship is the cooperation or agreement between two opposing political parties. It often involves compromise and negotiation to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, even in the face of ideological differences.

As a phenomenon, it mostly applies to countries with a strong two-party system, such as the United States, though it can rarely be applied to different political scenarios.

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Grassroots movements are organized efforts by ordinary citizens to promote social or political change from the bottom up. These movements often mobilize local communities to advocate for specific causes or influence public policy.

Though the origins of the word are obscure, an early reference to the term was used by Senator Albert Jeremiah Beveridge of Indiana in 1912, who said of the Progressive Party that "(it) has come from the grass roots. It has grown from the soil of people's hard necessities."

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Checks and balances refer to the system of separate powers within a government that ensures one branch doesn't become too powerful. This principle, integral to many democracies, helps maintain accountability and prevent abuses of power.

The French philosopher Montesquieu is often attributed with one of the first proposals for the separation of powers through a tripartite system that provided mechanisms to fight the centralization of power in one branch of government.

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Soft power is the ability of a country to influence others through cultural, economic, or diplomatic means, rather than through coercion or force. It's about winning hearts and minds, fostering goodwill, and shaping global perceptions.

Political scientist Joseph Nye was the first to popularize the concept of "soft power" in the late 80s, arguing that - in contrast with "hard" or coercive power - it aims to get others to want the same outcomes one is looking for.

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A bellwether state is one that can purportedly predict the outcome of a presidential election through its electoral results. This might happen due to its electorate closely matching the patterns of larger areas, for various demographic reasons.

These states are often seen as indicators of national trends and can play a pivotal role in predicting the outcome of elections. Ohio is often cited as a bellwether state due to its historical tendency to vote for the winning presidential candidate.