phenomime (of living things); mimetic word for actions/states of living beings
Rare linguistic term. Refers to mimetic words that describe the action, condition, or manner of living things without sound, e.g. うろうろ (aimlessly), ふらり (sluggishly). Contrasts with 擬態語, which covers non-living things.
See also: 擬態語
Words like うろうろ and ふらり are sometimes classified as 擬容語.
Compound of 擬 (gi, 'mimic') + 容 (yō, 'appearance') + 語 (go, 'word'). A technical term in Japanese linguistics.