Oinking

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Producing a sound imitating the vocalization of pigs Making a noise that mirrors the characteristic grunt of swine Emitting a distinctive low noise typically associated with hogs
2. Creating a noise that resembles the typical grunt of a pig
3. Generating sounds that mimic those made by swine

Etymology: "Oinking" is the present participle of "oink," the sound a pig makes, and the word is imitative: it was built to sound like what it names rather than descended from an older word. Its spelling and rhythm mirror the grunting of the animal, with the diphthong "oi" standing in for the drawn-out snort and the "nk" closing it off, much as "moo" or "hiss" copy their sources. The "-ing" ending is the ordinary English suffix that turns a verb into a continuous action, so "oinking" describes a pig, or anything else, in the middle of making that noise. Because "oink" is onomatopoeic, the same pattern of an animal's sound turned into a verb appears across English, from "cock-a-doodle-doo" to "bark."

Synonyms: grunt, snort