Onomatopoeia: Repetition of 1 or 2 Syllables

Many onomatopoeia repeat 1 or 2 syllables and are written typically in Katakana (Japanese syllabic system used mainly for foreign words and for sounds) – to even further underline their mimetic character – and sometimes Hiragana.

Even Pokémon are often associated with onomatopoeia, one of them being Pikachu!
The onomatopoeia is of course ‘pikapika’ ピカピカ which represents something shiny or sparkly and can therefore be linked to Pikachu’s static electricity.

Written by Jannick Scherrer