Other examples of onomatopoeia: Bang, Kaboom, Boom, Tic, Toc, etc.
2006-06-27 04:51:41 · 8 answers · asked by Jojo S 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
It is logically impossible to have a true onomatopoeia for "be quiet" but this is close.
Here's the etymology I found for "hush," certainly a related word.
hush
1546, variant of M.E. huisht (c.1380), probably of imitative origin, with terminal -t lost probably by being mistaken for a pt. suffix. Hush-hush (adj.) is 1916 reduplication. Hush-money is attested from 1709. Hush-puppy "deep-fried ball of cornmeal batter" first attested 1918; as a type of lightweight soft shoe, it is a proprietary name, registered 1961.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=hush&searchmode=none
The "of imitative origin" means an onomatopoeia. Shhh probably represents the sound of wispering.
Another possible origin, although I can't back it up somewhere, is that sounds like "shhhhh" can calm babies. It's a nice uncomplicated white noise.
Hope this helps.
2006-06-27 07:03:30 · answer #1 · answered by Mantis 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the thing it denotes. "Shhh" is not a word because it does not have any vowels. Furthermore, it does not imitate the sound of something.
"Hush" is a word, but it is not onomatopoeia because it does not imitate the sound of something. I suppose you could say that it sounds like the wind, but it denotes "be quiet," not "wind."
2006-06-27 04:57:53 · answer #2 · answered by crao_craz 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
An onomatopoeia is a word that souds like what it is describing like "Buzz". Shh is not describing something, it is just an implied order.
2006-06-27 04:56:16 · answer #3 · answered by scottamarx 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. clank and thud are generic words used to describe particularly any sound. screech may be onomatopoeia seeing it quite is particular, and pertains to a mouse. clank and thud are too generic of words.
2016-12-09 02:18:19 · answer #4 · answered by forgach 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
while it does mimic a sound, I don't think it counts as an actual word, since all words have consonents and vowels in some combination, even if the only vowel is y, as in rhythm.
2006-06-27 05:41:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so. I think maybe "hush" would be a better onomatopoeia for that sound.
2006-06-27 04:54:17 · answer #6 · answered by psykhaotic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. It's a word that mimics a sound.
2006-06-27 04:55:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is
2006-07-03 06:01:18 · answer #8 · answered by Cute 7Diva 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋