In Gbaya, the notion of the soft rain that waters the grass in Psalm 72:6 is emphasized with mbɛlɛlɛ, an ideophone used to describe something fine, silky, soft, and mbul-mbul, another ideophone that refers to something that falls very finely.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
In Gbaya, the notion of agility is emphasized with the negation of nyir, an ideophone referring to impassivity (or: small contortion movements caused by pain — see not having fear).
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
In Gbaya, the notion of not neglecting something is emphasized with wɔkɔrɔ, an ideophone designating an abandoned place, or a person left alone, forsaken.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
In Gbaya, the notion of the clinging of a tongue to the roof of one’s mouth is emphasized in Psalm 137:6 with ɓak-ɓak, an ideophone that means to be tied or held very tightly.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
See also skin shriveled on bones.
In Gbaya, the notion of an ongoing process of fainting (and the sense of getting heavier and heavier in the process is emphasized in Lamentations 1:13 with ɗɔ́ŋ-ɗɔ́ŋ, an ideophone that denotes something that is heavy regardless of volume, i.e. it expresses volumeness, volumonosity.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
In Gbaya, the notion of a large number of people decimated on the ground, as a result of a battle, is emphasized in Ezekiel 21:3 with the ideophone gbuluduk.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
In Gbaya, the notion of Jerusalem’s shock about the loss (or: the desolation) of her children is emphasized in Lamentations 1:6 with kúsúk, an ideophone that indicates bewilderment.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)