Echomimetic () is an adjective that is best explained in English by the term "onomatopoeic", which is derived from "

onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', '' ...

", which is used in

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and in the explanation of the origin of words in dictionaries. In modern Greek lexicography, the term "onomatopoeia" is virtually non-existent and the words of which the

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

it describes are almost always designated as echomimetic. However, the "echo" of echomimetic is different from the "echo" of

echolalia Echolalia is the unsolicited repetition of vocalizations made by another person (when repeated by the same person, it is called palilalia). In its profound form it is automatic and effortless. It is one of the echophenomena, closely related t ...

, which comes from Greek ''ἠχώ'', which is the source for the modern English word echo, the two words being synonymous; while the "echo" of echomimetic comes from Greek ''ἦχος'' which means "sound". "Mimetic" comes from Greek ''μιμητικός'', meaning "imitating". In German philology the term ''lautmalend'' is used instead of echomimetic or onomatopoeic. It derives from German ''Laut'' ("sound") and ''malen'' ("to paint", as in art). The word ''Echomimie'' in German designates a psychiatric phenomenon akin to echolalia where gestures and grimaces substitute for the voice. In French, the word ''onomatopée'' is used for onomatopoeia. Examples of echomimetic words in English are "bow wow", "miaow", "squeak" and "squeal".''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English'', 9th ed. 1995, edited by Della Thompson, Clarendon Press, Oxford. Actually described as "imitative".

References

{{Reflist Animal communication