More about onomatopoeia

• First recorded in 1570–80.
• Comes via Late Latin, from the Greek word onomatopoiía, which translates as “the making of words.”
• The word poet shares the same Greek stem that means, “maker.”
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EXAMPLES OF ONOMATOPOEIA

• The comic book artist skillfully used onomatopoeia in the action scenes, drawing “zap” and “pow” in speech bubbles.
• In poetry, onomatopoeia adds a vivid and auditory dimension to the words on the page.

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More about whippersnapper

• First recorded in 1665–75.
• Most likely a blend of earlier whipster and snippersnapper, which are similar in sense.
• Both whip and snap entered English centuries before and have Germanic origins.
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EXAMPLES OF WHIPPERSNAPPER

• The old man scolded the whippersnapper for cutting in line at the grocery store.
• She chuckled at the antics of the young whippersnapper trying to act all grown up.

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More about cacophony

• First recorded in 1650–60.
• Comes via New Latin cacophonia from Greek kakophōnía, which contains caco– “bad” + –phony “sound.”
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EXAMPLES OF CACOPHONY

• As the orchestra tuned their instruments, a cacophony of mismatched sounds filled the concert hall.
• The classroom erupted into a cacophony of laughter and chatter after the bell rang for recess.