What are some words (in any language) that describe or mimic sounds, yet are NOT examples of an onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia on·o·mat·o·poe·ia
/ˌänəˌmadəˈpēə,ˌänəˌmädəˈpēə/
noun
the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. achoo, bang, bash, buzz, crack, cuckoo, hahaha, knock, rat-a-tat-tat, sizzle, snap, whoosh).
I guess an example would be the word "lowing" referring to the sound made by cows. It sounds like it could be a mimic of the sound, but it's not. It's ultimately derived from the same root as the word "call" and does not seem to have any connection to the actual sound.