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The word "malapropism" (and its earlier form, "malaprop") comes from a character named "Mrs. Malaprop" in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals. [2] Mrs. Malaprop frequently misspeaks (to comic effect) by using words which do not have the meaning that she intends but which sound similar to words that do.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 14 January 2025. This is a list of onomatopoeias, i.e. words that imitate, resemble, or suggest the source of the sound that they describe. For more information, see the linked articles. Human vocal sounds Achoo, Atishoo, the sound of a sneeze Ahem, a sound made to clear the throat or to draw attention ...
It is generally thought to be an onomatopoeia imitative of speech, similar to the words jabber (to talk rapidly) and gibber (to speak inarticulately). [ 5 ] [ 6 ] It may originate from the word jib , which is the Angloromani variant of the Romani language word meaning "language" or "tongue".
The word onomatopoeia, with rarer spelling variants like onomatopeia and onomatopœia, is an English word from the Ancient Greek compound ὀνοματοποιία, onomatopoiía, meaning 'name-making', composed of ὄνομα, ónoma, meaning "name"; [4] and ποιέω, poiéō, meaning "making".
Onomatopoeia: a word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing; Phonetic reversal; Rhyme: a repetition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words Alliteration: matching consonants sounds at the beginning of words; Assonance: matching vowel sounds; Consonance: matching consonant sounds
Punch, 25 February 1914.The cartoon is a pun on the word "Jamaica", which pronunciation [dʒəˈmeɪkə] is a homonym to the clipped form of "Did you make her?". [1] [2]A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. [3]
Profanity is often depicted in images by grawlixes, which substitute symbols for words.. Profanity, also known as swearing, cursing, or cussing, involves the use of notionally offensive words for a variety of purposes, including to demonstrate disrespect or negativity, to relieve pain, to express a strong emotion, as a grammatical intensifier or emphasis, or to express informality or ...
A mondegreen is a misinterpretation of a word or phrase, often within the lyrics of a specific song or other type of performance, and need not make sense within that context. [22] An eggcorn must still retain something of the original meaning, [ 22 ] as the speaker understands it, and may be a replacement for a poorly understood phrase rather ...