A Study on Classification of Monosyllabic and Disyllabic Onomatopoeias Based on the Relation Between the Form and Meaning

Abstract

There is a certain connection between the form and meaning of the onomatopoeia, so its classification may include both formal and semantic criterion. This paper mainly studies on monosyllabic and disyllabic onomatopoeias in the Modern Chinese Dictionary (6th edition), summarizes three semantic description perspectives as object of sound production, sound features and action features from the definitions of onomatopoeias in dictionary, and initially classifies them as simple onomatopoeias, compound featured onomatopoeias (with sound feature and action feature) and sound featured onomatopoeias. Combined with the formal criteria, this paper further classifies monosyllabic and disyllabic onomatopoeias as A type simple onomatopoeias, A type sound featured onomatopoeias, A type compound featured onomatopoeias, AA type sound featured onomatopoeias, AA type compound featured onomatopoeias, AB type simple onomatopoeias, AB type sound featured onomatopoeias, AB type compound featured onomatopoeias. Based on the classification, this paper also discusses the semantic, structural characteristics and relations between form and meaning of each type.