Wagner proposes a sound-symbolic origin, after the sounds these insects [grasshoppers] make. Although this cannot be fully excluded, this word exhibits suspiciously little formal variation for a sound-symbolic formation.
Source: wiktionary
Sound-symbolic
Synonyms for "sound-symbolic" (5 found)
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Closest matches (1)
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (2)
Adjective(2 words)
Related words (2)
Adjective(2 words)
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4 entriesSample sentences
2 total sentences available.
"Bouba" and "Kiki" are sound-symbolic labels, not directly imitating any actual sound but nonetheless carrying strong intrinsic associations with roundness and pointiness, respectively.
Source: wiktionary
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.