Abstract
The analysis of insults as a language practice in an oral context illustrates the fact that among Gabonese populations, insults are not only verbal, written or symbolic, but also onomatopoeic. It is translated into a set of sound signs that are integrated into everyday interactions and language practices. Present in Gabonese languages as well as in French, the country’s official language, onomatopoeic insults are a form of symbolic language violence aimed directly at the addressee. To understand the insulting nature of an onomatopoeic term or sound sign, it is necessary to refer to the social context of the language practice to which it belongs. The examples cited in this article are drawn mainly from Fang and French.