This is an interactive project centred on onomatopoeia. It explores how language can be understood through words, feeling and intuition.
Onomatopoeia may seem to imitate sounds, but in fact they are more about communicating a feeling.
This project selects five common Chinese onomatopoeic words, not to find perfect translations,
but to help these words be felt within an English context.
Through text, sound, and visuals, each word is presented as a definition and an experience.
Shows the everyday situations in which five Chinese onomatopoeic words are used, helping users understand the kinds of life experiences these words come from.
Follows the style of common translation tools by offering pronunciation and example sentences.
Uses visualisation to present the structure of feelings within a word, rather than only its meaning.
Uses animation to show the rhythm and sense of movement in onomatopoeia, allowing these words to come alive and feel closer to real experience.
This project aims to raise awareness that meaning in language sometimes comes from words,
and sometimes from feeling.
Onomatopoeia sits right in between these two.