Thursday, February 04, 2010

Dhak-dhak, Doki-doki, Tun-tun

Dhak-dhak, doki-doki, tun-tun...these words may sound strange and funny but they all have one thing in common -- they describe the heartbeat in different languages!

In North India your heart beat is `dhak-dhak` while in Japan it goes `doki-doki` but to a Latino it is `tun-tun`. 

In English there is a world borrowed (or created) from Greek to classify these colorful `words that imitates the sounds they describe' - Onomatopoeia

Here is an attempt to collect such words in as many languages as possible.  :-)

CHINESE (Mandarin)
Pen-ti: Sneeze


CROATIAN
Kinhuti - Sneeze
Stucati - Hiccup


BENGALI
Haai - Yawn
Tapur-tupur - Sound of rainfall

ENGLISH
Bow-wow - Dog bark
Meaow - A cat`s cry
Ululation -  Howl, wail, lament, felicitation (during a marriage in Kerala)
Achoo (sneeze), Bang, Baloon, Beep, Burp, Buzz, Click, Cough, Crash, Cuckoo, Fart, Fizz, Hiccup, Hiss, Rip, Pop, Snore, Tinkle, Wink

HINDI
Dhak-dhak (धक्-धक्)  - heartbeat
Fatfatia (फटफटिया) - a noisy Auto-rickshaw (3-wheeler taxi) - "tuk-tuk" in Thai
Gubbara (गुब्बारा) - Baloon
Hichki (हिचकी) - Hiccup
Jhatpat (झटपट) - Hasty action
Kharratte (खर्राटे) - Snore
Khusur-fusur (खुसुर-फुसुर)- Whisper
Paad (पाद) - Fart
Teetar (तीतर) - Partridge-bird
Thappad (थप्पड़) - Slap

JAPANESE
Bishi-bishi (びしびし) -  stickily; relentlessly
Bisho-bisho (びしょびしょ) - scattering of drops, pieces
Bura-bura (ぶらぶら) - aimlessly; idly; loiter; loaf; stroll idly;
Chaku-chaku (ちゃくちゃく /  着着 )- Steadily
Chika-chika (ちかちか)- Flickering light
Choki-choki (ちょきーちょき)- Snipping, cutting sound
Dan-dan - (段々) gradually; by degrees
Giri-giri (ギリギリ) - Barely, Just-in-time
Goku-goku  (ごくごく) - Gulp-gulp [same reading - 極極 = extremely, highly)
Goro-goro (ごろごろ)- laze about,sound of an upset stomach!
Fura-fura (ふらふら)- unsteady on one's feet; stagger; reel; totter; dizzy
Haki-haki  (はきはき) - briskly; smartly; promptly; clearly; lucidly
Hiso-hiso (ひそひそ) - speak in a whisper
Jiro-jiro (じろじろ) - To stare
Kira-kira (きらきら) - Glitter & sparkle
Kune-kune (くねくね) ー Circuitous
Kuyo-kuyo - Worry, fret over
Kori-kori (凝り; こり) - lingering discomfort; uneasiness; bad aftertaste; unpleasant feeling
Mago-mago (まごまご) - Confused
Moko-moko (もこもこ) - lumpy; fluffy
Nazo-nazo (なぞなぞ) - Riddle
Nya-nya (にゃにゃ) - Cat`s cry
Pachi-pachi (パチパチ ) - Clap, sputter
Pera-pera (ぺらぺら)- Fluency in a language
Pika-pika (ぴかぴか) - Gleaming (eg. car)
Ponyo-Ponyo (ポニョポニョ)- Chubby
Potsu-potsu (ぽつぽつ)- Speckle, pimples
Shimi-jimi (しみじみ) -  《 染み染み》 - Earnestly; keenly; fully; heartily; seriously
Shuku-shuku (しゅくしゅく / 粛粛) - Silently, solemnly
Toro-toro (とろとろ) - Simmer, stew
Uta-kata (うたかた) - Bubble
Wan-wan (わんわん)- Dog`s bark in Japan (!)
Zaa-zaa (ざあざあ)- Sound of rainfall


MALAYALAM
Addi (അട്ടി) - Hit, slap
Kaakaa (കാകാ) - Crow  (Ditto in Tamil)
Korava (കൊറവ ) - Crowing, Ululation
Koorkam ( കൂര്കം) - Snore
Kushu (കുശു) - Fart
Piri-pirippu (പിരിപിരിപ്പ് )- Fidgetty
Thummal (തുമ്മല്‍ ) - Sneeze
Thulli (തുള്ളി ) - Drop (water, dew)
Umma (ഉമ്മ) - Kiss

ROMANIAN (without the right intonation marks :(  )
Bum-Bum - Heartbeat
Casca - Yawn
Ham-Ham - Dogs-bark
Miau - Cat's cry
Part / Basi - Fart
Sforai- Snore
Stranut- Sneeze
Sughit - Hiccup
Tusi - Cough

SPANISH
Beso ("muak")- Kiss
Gota - Drop
Guau-Guau - Dog bark
Hipo ("hip-hip") - Hiccup
Maulido ("mau-mau") - Cat's cry
Pedo - Fart ............... (Indo-European root?)
Tonwar (v) - Snore
Tos (col.) - Cough
Tun-tun - Sound of heartbeat

SWAHILI
Beua - Burp
Busu - Kiss
Bweka - Dog-bark
Chafya - Sneeze
Jamba - Fart
Koroma - Snore.......(similar to the Malayalam word!)
Kohowa - Cough
Kwi-kwi - Hiccup
Miyao - Yawn  :)
Nyau - Cat's cry




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Reference & Links -

  • Onomatopoeia at Reference.com - http://www.search.com/reference/Onomatopoeia
  • http://coolslang.com/in/Japan/PeraPera.php
  • http://www.lint.co.jp/e+/fun/onomatopoeia/onomatopoeia.htm

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