The Japanese word kokekokko is the sound typical of the cock and belongs to the category of ‘onomatopoeia’. In fact, expressions like these mimic different kinds of sounds – onomatopoeia are not a Japanese uniqueness. Take ‘boom’ for example – an expression found especially often in comics.
Onomatopoeia can be divided into 3 groups:
1) giseigo 擬声語 = expressions of sounds from animals and humans
2) giongo 擬音語 = expressions of sounds from things
3) gitaigo 擬態語 = expressions for movement and state of things
Written by Jannick Scherrer