English
onomatopoesy
Onomatopoesy comes from Ancient Greek ὀνοματοποιία ‘the coining of a word in imitation of a sound’, from ὀνομᾰτοποιός ‘coiner of names’, and ultimately from Hittite ḫannaⁱ- ‘to sue, judge’.
- Hittitemodernḫannaⁱ-transliteratedcuneiform ḫannaⁱ-, a transliteration‘to sue, judge’
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁nómn̥‘name’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ónomə‘name’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄνομα‘name’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὀνομᾰτοποιός‘coiner of names’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὀνοματοποιίαonomatopoiía‘the coining of a word in imitation of a sound’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892onomatopoesy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Hittitemodernḫannaⁱ-transliteratedcuneiform ḫannaⁱ-, a transliteration‘to sue, judge’
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁nómn̥‘name’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ónomə‘name’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὄνομα‘name’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὀνομᾰτοποιός‘coiner of names’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὀνοματοποιίαonomatopoiía‘the coining of a word in imitation of a sound’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892onomatopoesy
Earliest quotation: 1892, Leonard Landois, William Stirling: “Another means is the imitation of sounds by the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ ‘name’
name, nomination, noun, nominal, allocate, nominate, renown, misnomer, nominative, ignominious, ignominy, 30 more
through Ancient Greek ὄνομα ‘name’
Today it means
noun The use of onomatopoeia.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Hittite ḫannaⁱ- / onomatopoesy