onomatopoeia

Thump

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

“Thump” is another word whose register depends on what is causing the thumping.  Dwarves threaten to thump plates in Chapter 1 and trolls thump about in a slapstick fight scene in Chapter 2.  While the mood is eerie in Chapter 8, the thumping of feet or of dwarves to the ground are clumsy and low in comparison to the menacing, listening place.  In Chapter 9, Bilbo’s heart thumps during the daring rescue – but their danger is  not particularly great.

  • 01.067 Pound them up with a thumping pole;
  • 02.070 and thumping,
  • 08.001 and the quiet was so deep that their feet seemed to thump along
  • 08.105 thump to the ground
  • 09.029 Bilbo’s heart thumped every time

Squeak

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

Things which squeak are obviously either funny or contemptible.  Another “low” tag for an onomatopoeia word.

  • 01.063 while the hobbit ran after them almost squeaking with fright:
  • 01.110 squeaked Bilbo
  • 02.050 oo are you?” it squeaked,
  • 05.087 How it squeaked!
  • 05.111 when we twisted that nassty young squeaker.
  • 12.073 in a frightened squeak,
  • 13.010 he squeaked aloud.
  • 13.023 He squeaked
  • 13.028 or he would not go on squeaking.’
  • 16.033 squeaked Bilbo.
  • 17.013 squeaked Bilbo,

Splutter

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

The Chapter 16 instance of “splutter” occurs when Bilbo stumbles and falls into a stream on his super-silent mission to reach Bard without the dwarves’ knowledge.  Definitely a funny bit of slapstick.  Johnson (of “Boswell’s Life of___” fame) called this a low word, and I’ll happily take that evidence.

  • 05.041 and spluttered.
  • 05.073 and spluttered
  • 08.109 so now they all began to splutter
  • 08.123 and spluttered
  • 09.055 He came up again spluttering
  • 16.017 shivering and spluttering,

“splutter, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Hiss

lfsaldenbirch , , , ,

Gollum hisses – definitely low.  Spiders hiss – definitely low.  Dwarves hiss in a stumbling about scene, also tagged “low”.  In Chapter 14, however, the hisses are of dragon-fired arrows and bits of building falling into the lake.  Same word, much more weighty feeling.  I shall have to find a way to tag those two instances as “high”.

  • 05.014 and hissed:
  • 05.016 when the hiss came
  • 05.022 Sssss’ said Gollum,
  • 05.025 So Gollum hissed:
  • 05.032 he hissed.
  • 05.036 Ss, ss, ss,’ said Gollum.
  • 05.036 Ss, ss, ss,’ said Gollum.
  • 05.036 Ss, ss, ss,’ said Gollum.
  • 05.036 Sss, sss, my preciouss,
  • 05.036 Sss, sss, my preciouss,
  • 05.041 He hissed to himself,
  • 05.043 my preciouss – ss – ss.’
  • 05.043 my preciouss – ss – ss.’
  • 05.045 teaching his grandmother to suck – ‘Eggses!’ he hissed.
  • 05.048 After a while Gollum began to hiss
  • 05.064 not fair!’ he hissed.
  • 05.066 S-s-s-s-s,’ hissed Gollum.
  • 05.066 S-s-s-s-s,’ hissed Gollum.
  • 05.070 S-s-s-s-s,’ said Gollum
  • 05.073 He hissed
  • 05.082 hissed Gollum.
  • 05.097 Then suddenly out of the gloom came a sharp hiss.
  • 05.101 The sound came hissing louder
  • 05.105 he heard the hiss loud behind him,
  • 05.106 The hiss was close behind him.
  • 05.109 curse it!’ hissed Gollum.
  • 05.117 Ssss, sss, gollum!
  • 05.117 Ssss, sss, gollum!
  • 05.120 hissing
  • 05.124 Ssss!’
  • 05.127 He hissed softly but menacingly.
  • 05.130 There was a hissing
  • 07.101 The grasses hissed, their tassels bent,
  • 08.081 and hissing,
  • 08.085 hissed a fourth;
  • 08.091 hissed the angry spider climbing back onto the branch.
  • 08.109 and hiss:
  • 08.123 and hissed out horrible curses;
  • 13.016 Sh! sh!’ they hissed,
  • 14.013 and hissing into the lake.
  • 14.024 There was a hiss,

What do we think?  Is “sss” a different word from “hiss”?  Probably.  We will have to revisit this word.