sob
UK[sɒb]US[sɑːb]
v
To cry noisily, taking sudden, sharp breaths.
n
An act or the sound of sobbing.
Etymology
The word 'sob' is an onomatopoeic formation, imitating the convulsive sound of catching one's breath while crying. It first appeared in Middle English as 'sobben', likely evolving from similar imitative words in other Germanic languages, such as Middle Dutch 'sobben' and Low German 'sabben'. The core logic of the word is purely sonic, directly linking the phonetic form to the involuntary, gasping sound it describes. Over centuries, this sound-symbolic term has stabilized into its current spelling and abstract meaning, referring to both the action and the characteristic sound of distressed weeping.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of imitative origin. It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
She began to sob uncontrollably when she heard the sad news.
The child's quiet sob could be heard from the other room.
He tried to speak but his words were broken by a sob.