This page hosts a bilingual glossary of onomatopoeia and mimesis collated from published manga translations.
You can search the glossary by typing a keyword (or part of a keyword) in either English or Japanese.
The Source Text terms have been transcribed into the Latin alphabet using the 'wapuro' method to falicitate data entry and the digital management processes. In cases where the small 'tsu' character (glottal stop: ッ/っ) appears at the end of the word, it has been represented with an exclamation mark (!).
The manga onomatopoeia and mimesis translation research project is a collaborative endeavour by the members of the Manga Translation Workshop, utilizing the resources of the JSC Manga Library at Monash University.
The initial stage of the research project, which you can see here on this website, is the creation of a bilingual glossary of onomatopoeia and mimesis collated from published manga translations. Analysis of typographic strategies for integrating the target (translated) term into the source text artwork is being compiled simultaneously. It is beyond the scope of this project to create a bilingual dictionary with semantic definitions for the onomatopoeia and mimesis, however an extensive bilingual glossary does also have the potential to increase understanding of the terms across languages. We hope that the glossary will be useful to manga researchers and fans alike.
See The Sound of Silence: Translating Onomatopoeia and Mimesis in Japanese Manga by Cathy Sell & Sarah Pasfield-Neofitou, a chapter in the collected volume Manga Vision: Cultural and Communicative Perspectives, to read an analysis of trends in manga SFX translation strategies based on an examination of the glossary data and its reference texts.
The following manga have been used as source material for the Onomatopoeia and Mimesis Glossary so far. The relevant source and page number for each entry are included in the glossary table above.
Azuma, Kiyohiko Azumangadaiou, vol.1 (Tokyo: Media Works, 2000); translated by Bertrand, Kay et al as Azumanga daioh, vol.1 (Houston, Texas: ADV Manga, 2003)
Azuma, Kiyohiko Yotsuba to, vol.1 (Tokyo: Media Works, ); translated by Lopez, Javier as Yotsuba&!, vol.1 (Houston, Texas: ADV Manga, 2005)
Hayashi, Fumino Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, vol.1 (Houston, Texas: ADV Manga, 2006); translated by Wiedrick, Jack & Bertrand, Kaoru.
Kamio, Yoko Hana yori dango, vol.1 (Tokyo: Shueisha, 2003); translated by Jones, Gerard as Boys over Flowers, vol.1 (San Francisco, CA: Viz Media, 2003)
Kumeta, Koji Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei, (Tokyo: Kodansha, 2005); translated by Aurino, Joyce as The Power of Negative Thinking, vol.1 (New York, NY: Del Ray, 2009)
Takahashi, Rumiko Maison ikkoku, vol.1 (Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2003); translated by Jones, Gerard & Thorn, Matt as Maison ikkoku, vol.1 (San Francisco, CA: Viz Media, 2003)
Tezuka, Osamu Hi no tori: reimeihen, vol.1 (Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten, 1986); translated by Dadakai as Phoenix: Dawn, vol.1 (San Francisco, CA: Viz Media, 2003)
Yoshinaga, Fumi Seiyou Kottou Yougashiten, vol.1 (Tokyo: Shinshokan, 2008); translated by Sato, Sachiko as Antique Bakery, vol.1 (Gardena: Digital Manga, 2005)
Ishinomori, Shotaro Nihon keizai nyuumon (Tokyo: Nihonkeizaishimbunsha, 1986); translated by Betsey Scheiner as Japan Inc: An Introduction to Japanese Economics (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988)