What is Japanese Onomatopoeia?
Japanese onomatopoeia (Giongo/Gitaigo) is not just for kids. It is a sophisticated system of word-painting used by adults in every professional and social context.
Most languages have words for ‘bang’ or ‘meow’. But Japanese takes this to an extreme.
With over 4,000 distinct sound-symbolic words, Japanese uses these sounds to describe everything from the texture of a pear to the feeling of a guilty conscience.
Why ‘Kotodama’?
The word Kotodama means “the spirit of words.” In Japan, it is traditionally believed that words carry a physical and spiritual power. Onomatopoeia is the most direct expression of this—the word doesn’t just represent the feeling; it sounds like the feeling. …