Until recently I’d never heard of “ablaut reduplication”, but I have unknowingly been applying it my whole life…and so have you!
Ablaut reduplication is when you repeat a word that has a similar sound or spelling. The following examples are from ProEdit:
- Chitchat
- Crisscross
- Dillydally
- Ding-dong
- Kitty cat
- Knickknack
- Mishmash
- Ping-pong
- Pitter-patter
- Riffraff
- Singsong
- Splish-splash
- Ticktock
- Tittle-tattle
- Wishy-washy
- Zigzag
Can you see the pattern?
The first word always has an I vowel and the second either an A or O. If you have three words (eg ding dang dong) the order of words is always the I first, then the second either A or O. It may not seem important but the order of vowel is very important. You would never say the clock goes tock-tick, you’d never eat a Kat Kit bar or worry about the bad big wolf.
Isn’t that fascinating?
September 19, 2018 at 9:45 pm
I’ve been hearing about this a lot lately! Like it was even on the radio. Was it a new term that’s been added to academia? I think it’s cool that something like that has a name and rule to follow
September 20, 2018 at 7:40 am
Hey GF, I think it has always been around, just not in the public arena before. A writer friend mentioned it a few months back and it fascinated me. I’m planning on posting on another of these weird and fun quirks of the english language soon (based on one that went viral a few years back).
September 20, 2018 at 7:46 am
Oooo awesome! Can’t wait to read it
September 20, 2018 at 1:41 am
Mary says “heejee-beejees”…
September 20, 2018 at 7:45 am
I haven’t heard that one before (I’ve heard of heebee-jeebees which is almost the same – means being scared).
That one’s a reduplication but not an ablaut reduplication, it’s a rhyming reduplication (there are 5 other reduplications besides the ablaut).
Rhyming reduplication refers to simple word pairs that rhyme: Boogie-woogie, easy-peasy, hoity-toity, hokey-pokey, ragtag, razzle-dazzle, super-duper, teenie-weenie, walkie-talkie.
September 20, 2018 at 4:22 am
This really IS fascinating! I never knew the term for it, and wouldn’t have realized the I-A-O pattern if you hadn’t outlined it. Super cool new fact for today.
September 20, 2018 at 11:55 am
It’s funny how we instinctively apply the rule, even though we’ve never been taught it.
September 21, 2018 at 10:34 am
Wow, that is.
Have you heard of the adjective order rule? (opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose)
(I tried to comment yesterday, but I couldn’t get the blog to come up. Something about maintenance. Ah well.)
October 14, 2018 at 6:15 pm
Lol, as you’ve probably already realised, yes I have =)