4 ms·
English seems to go for vowel changes for these types of phrases (click-clack, tick-tock, clip-clop, pitter-patter). Perhaps this is because English has more v
by laurieg 4y ago
English seems to go for vowel changes for these types of phrases (click-clack, tick-tock, clip-clop, pitter-patter). Perhaps this is because English has more vowel sounds to work with?
Following this, English has some good examples for words that aren't imitating a sound. (Wishy-washy, zig-zag, tip-top).
- quartesixte 4y agoThis is probably a holdover of some Old English phonological features. Most words like this are limited to the i-a, i-o axis which are also vowels in Japanese.