Talk:onomatopoeia

RFV discussion
I am seeking clarification; does the term "onomatopoeia" extend to artificial sounds, such as those one hears in cartoons or films. An example of this is "spang" refering to a frying pan to the face of an unsuspecting fictional character? —This.


 * What do you mean by "artificial sounds"? All sounds are made through some sort of artifice.  Which sense are you calling into question on the page? --EncycloPetey 19:13, 18 September 2008 (UTC)


 * Perhaps this refers to written representations of such sounds, as found in comic books. I recall an amusing such cartoon where a dopey-looking character walked into a flagpole. The pole went "DUMMMBBBBB!" Funny, but it would never actually make such a sound. -- Pinkfud 04:08, 4 December 2008 (UTC)

Plural
It says that the plural of "onomatopoeia" is "onomatopoeias". However definition 2 states "A word which has the property of onomatopoeia". So what is the real plural, "onomatopoeia" or "onomatopoeias"?


 * Note the inflexion line: onomatopoeia (countable and uncountable; plural onomatopoeias) And then the context tags before the definitions:
 * (uncountable) […]
 * (countable) […]
 * An uncountable noun (also called a mass noun) has no plural form because it cannot be counted, whereas a countable noun (also called a count noun) does (usually) have a plural form because it can be counted. In the case of, it is both countable and uncountable, depending on the sense; in English, it is very common for an uncountable noun describing a phenomenon (like undefined:) to develop a second, countable sense, defined as an example of that phenomenon (hence undefined:). So, to answer your question, (as well as , if you prefer) is the plural form of undefined:, but only in its second sense. †  ﴾(u):Raifʻhār (t):Doremítzwr﴿ 06:12, 29 September 2009 (UTC)