Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
Running head: JAPANESE ONOMATOPOEIC AND MIMETIC EXPRESSIONS
Translating Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions into English
Kohei Hamabe
Applied Reading and Writing
Keiwa College
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Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
Abstract
Japanese language has a large set of onomatopoeic and mimetic words. These
unique expressions make translation of the language extremely difficult. The author
researched literatures on onomatopoeic and mimetic words and concluded that in order
to translate Japanese onomatopoetic and mimetic words, one needs an extensive
knowledge of Japanese grammatical structures, Japanese cultural background, and the
translation methods.
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Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
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Translating Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions into English
Yamaguchi (2003) indicates that there are more than 1,200 onomatopoeic and
mimetic words in Japanese, which is about three times more than in English. That is
why it is extremely difficult to translate these words into English which are often used
in a Japanese novel or conversation. According to Hayase’s study (1987), 59 of the total
186 onomatopoeia in the classic novel Yukiguni (Snow country) by Yasunari Kawabata
are not translated. In a conversation, Japanese people always use those unique
expressions such as WanWan [dog barking], ZaaZaa [sound of showering rain],
NiyaNiya [smiling ironically] to inform what the speaker sees, hears, and feels. Keys to
successfully translate Japanese onomatopoeia and mimetic words into English are the
knowledge of grammatical structures, cultural background, and the translation methods.
Those who translate Japanese onomatopoeia and mimetic words in English
should understand the difference between Japanese and English structure. Machida
(2011) explains that the sound of Japanese has a very simple structure with 5 vowels
and 13 consonants, while the sound of English has a complicated structure with 22
vowels and 20 consonants. In addition, the research conducted by the same author
( Machida, 2011) has shown that Japanese syllables are constructed with only vowels
[a] (「あ」) and [i] (「い」), or [a consonant + a vowel] combination, while English
Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
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consonants can be placed before vowels or the after. Onomatopoeia and mimetic words
have been defined in Inose’s study (2007) that the former is giseigo and the latter is
giongo. Giseigo is an imitation of real sounds that represent human or animal voice.
Gitaigo on the other hand represent emotion, a movement and state of things that do not
produce audible sounds. Inose (2007) indicated that the grammatical function of
onomatopoeia is essentially limited to an adverb, but a mimetic word could function as
an adjective, verb and so on. Moreover same study (Inose, 2007) indicates that the word
“gangan” in “Doa o gangan tataku” [Knock on the door hard]” is an example of
onomatopoeia and the same word in “Atama ga gangan itamu” [(my) head hurts
terribly] is an example of a mimetic word. In fact, “gangan” could function as a verb
only when used as a mimetic word, and it’s also possible make a mimetic words a verb
by attaching the generic verb “suru (to do)”, for example, “Atama ga gangan suru”
[(My) head hurts terribly]. The verb “gangan suru” (“to hurt” or “to have a pounding
headache”) has substituted the verb “itamu” (to hurt) in “Atama ga gangan itamu”.
However, “this creation of verb does not occur with onomatopoeia ” (Inose, 2007).
Those who translate Japanese onomatopoeia and mimetic words should also
understand Japanese culture surrounding onomatopoeic and mimetic expressions.
Iwasaki, Vinson and Vigliocco (2007) point out by citing Toda et al. (1990) that
Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
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“Japanese mothers used more onomatopoeic words with their 3-month-old infants than
U.S. mothers did.” In other words, children are introduced to onomatopoeic words at the
very first stage of learning the mother’s tongue before learning the actual names of
objects. For example, children learn to say “wan-wan” (sound of dog barking) instead
of the word “inu” (dog), and “buu-buu” (sound of car engine) instead of the word
“kuruma” (car). In other words, children are introduced to onomatopoeic words at the
very first stage of learning the mother’s tongue before learning the actual names of
objects. For example, children learn to say “wan-wan” (sound of dog barking) instead
of the word “inu” (dog), and “buu-buu” (sound of car engine) instead of the word
“kuruma” (car). Additionally, according to Machida (2010), famous haiku such as the
ones written by Bashou, express Japanese sensibility for different sound in nature.
“Shizukasaya iwani shimiiru semino koe”
[How still it is ! Stinging into the stones The locusts' trill] (Keene, D. 1995)
“Huruikeya kawazu tobikomu mizuno oto”
[The ancient pond─A flog jumps in─The sound of the water] (Keene, D. 1995)
As seen in the above examples, Japanese people have a strong desire to express
different sounds in nature that they hear, and this desire is culturally unique and
Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
comparably stronger than speakers of other languages (Machida, 2010).
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In the same
study, Machida (2010) states that there are a variety of onomatopoeia and mimetic
words to signify immediacy and concreteness in Japanese. However, Japanese people
tend to use those expressions unnecessary overuse in daily conversation or novels, such
as
“Kyuujitu ha gorogoro site sugosu”
[(I) spend time laying and relaxing on weekend.]
“Machi wo burabura aruita”
[(I) browsed around town.]
“Hara ga hette itanode gatugatu tabeta”
[(I) ate a lot of food greedily because I was hungry.]
Machida’s (2010) argument is that if these words (gorogoro[laying and relaxing],
burabura[browsed], gatugatu[greedily]) is used too much, effects and values of these
expressions may be poor. Therefore, people don’t have to use so many onomatopoeia
and mimetic words.
Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
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Those who translate Japanese onomatopoeia and mimetic words should
understand two translation methods which Inose (2010) found. One is “straightforward”
method which uses an adverb, adjective, verb or possible idiom when the translators
could find a word (or an idiom) in the target language that is equivalent in its meaning
to the onomatopoeic or mimetic expression. The other is more original methods which
uses explicative paraphrase or combination of various adjectives. Inose (2010) indicated
that the former is an especially popular method, although it has the risk of making the
translated phrase too surplus, or imposing the translator’s interpretation on the readers.
On the other hand, the latter is a very effective method of translation. The difficulty here
is the necessity to deeply understand the meaning of each onomatopoeic and mimetic
word, to be able to “decompose” it into a variety of elements and translate each of them
into a target language (Inose, 2010).
Translating Japanese onomatopoeia or mimetic expression into English is not
easy. Therefore, those who are translating should have a large bank of vocabulary to
express the meaning of each word, a deep knowledge of culture behind onomatopoeia
and mimetic words, an understanding of the difference between Japanese and English
grammatical structures whenever they translate these words into English.
Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
Reference
Inose, H. (2007). Translating Japanese onomatopoeia and mimetic words.
Translation Research Projects 1, 97-116
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Japanese Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Expressions
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Iwasaki, N. ,Vinson. D. P. , &Vigliocco, G. (2007). What do Speakers Know
about gera-gera and yota-yota? : A Cross-linguistic Investigation of
MimeticWords for Laughing and Walking. Sekai no nihonngokyoiku [Japanese
language education in the world] 17.
Keene, D (1995). Matsuo Bashou : Nihonn no rekishi 7 kinnsei henn 1 [The history of
Japan 7, the early modern period 1]. 5, 168-170
Machida, K (2010). Oto Wo Mederu [Appreciate the sounds of nature]: Nihongo
No Oto [Japanese sounds]. Civil Engineering Consultant, 253, 12-15.Toda,
Toda, S. Fogel,A. and Kawai, M. (1990). Maternal speech to three-month-old
infants in the United States and Japan. Journal of Child Language 17,
279―294.