What does an animal say in your language?
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Forum Name: Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages
Forum Discription: The place to share your personal cultural experiences in foreign languages: books you read, trips, Zeitgeist abroad and other memorable things you did in a foreign language.
URL: http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34891
Printed Date: 13 June 2021 at 5:34am
Posted By: rikrik
Subject: What does an animal say in your language?
Date Posted: 06 January 2013 at 10:58pm
Hello!
I have this idea (which sounds probably a bit crazy) of collecting (and publishing....)
a list of animalsounds around the world. For example, why says a frog in Holland
'kwaak' and in English 'ribit' and in Japanese 'gero gero'? Or why says a pig 'knor
knor' in Holland, but in Germany 'oink oink'? While it's just the neighbour country!
Basically, it's the same animal but as soon as you cross a border it's saying something
different (at least, that's how humans hear it). Sounds strange, doesn't it?
So the question is, can you help me with the sounds from your country/language? So a
real animal sound / language exchange!
I'll give it a start with Dutch, to set an example. Hopefully more people will follow
and can copy/paste this list of animals and write down what they say.
Cat: miauw
Dog: woef
Chicken: tok tok
Rooster: kukeleku
Pig: knor knor
Cow: boe
Donkey: iaah
Bird: tjirp tjirp / twiet twiet
Horse: hinnik
Duck: kwaak
Snake: sssss
Rabbit: snif snif
Goat: bee
Sheep: beeh
Fish: blub
Owl: oehoe
Bee: bzzz
Mice: piep piep
Lion/tiger: grauw
Hope we can get a lot of languages!:) Please copy/paste the complete list of animals,
so it will be as complete as possible with the sounds and languages!
PS I found a few websites already online about this topic. But not a lot, so if there
are people here with tips or good websites/books. Please let me know:)
Thanks!
Rik
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Replies:
Danish:
Cat: miav
Dog: wuf/vov (gø)
Chicken: gok gok
Rooster: kykeliky (gale)
Pig: øf øf (grynte)
Cow: Muh (brøle)
Donkey: iaah (skryde)
Bird: pip pip
Horse: iihh(vrinske)
Duck: rap
Snake: sssss (hvisle)
Rabbit: ?
Goat: mæh (bræge)
Fish: ?
Owl: uhu (tude)
Bee: bzzz (summe)
Mice: piv
Lion/tiger: not sure if there is any consensus with regard to writing that sound maybe “grrr” (brøle/knurre)
Frog: kvak/kvæk
*As bonus info I provided the word for making the sound (in parentheses) in the cases where it is significantly different from the sound itself. (ex.“at gø”=”to bark”)
Tilia on 07 January 2013
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Cat: νιάου
Dog: γαβ γαβ
Chicken: κοκοκό
Rooster: κουκουρούκου
Pig: ---
Cow: μουουού
Donkey: ιά
Bird: τσίου τσίου
Horse: ---
Duck: ---
Snake: σσσσσσσ
Rabbit: ---
Goat: ---
Fish: ---
Owl: κουκουβάου
Bee: ζζζζζ
Mice: ---
Lion/tiger: γκρρρ
Frog: κουάξ κουάξ
Greek
renaissancemedi on 07 January 2013
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Spanish:
I add the verb for each one:
Cat: miau (maullar)
Dog: guau (ladrar)
Chicken: co co (cacarear)
Rooster: kikirikí (cantar)
Pig: oink oink (gruñir)
Cow: muu (mugir)
Donkey: iaah (rebuznar)
Bird: pío pío (piar)
Horse: iihh (relinchar)
Duck: cuac (parpar)
Snake: sssss (silbar, sisear)
Rabbit: (chillar)
Goat: bee (balar)
Fish:
Owl: uh uh? (ulular)
Bee: zzz (zumbar)
Mice:
Lion/tiger: (rugir)
Frog: croac croac (croar)
Quique on 07 January 2013
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Cat: мяу
Dog: бау
Chicken: ко ко ко
Rooster: кукуригу
Pig: грух грух
Cow: муууу
Donkey:
Bird: чурулик чурулик
Horse:
Duck: квак
Snake: с(ъ)ссссс
Rabbit:
Goat: бееее
Fish:
Owl: бууу
Bee:
Mice: цър
Lion/tiger:
a3 on 07 January 2013
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Russian:
Cat: мяу [myau] (мяу́кать)
Dog: гав/ав [gav/av] (ла́ять/га́вкать)
Chicken: кококо [kokoko] (куда́хтать)
Rooster: кукареку [kukareku] (кукаре́кать)
Pig: хрю [khryu] (хрю́кать)
Cow: му [mu] (мыча́ть)
Donkey: иа [ia] (no particular verb)
Bird: чирик [chirik] (чири́кать)
Horse: игого [igogo] (ржать)
Duck: ква [kva] (ква́кать)
Snake: ссс/шшш [sss/ssshhh] (шипе́ть)
Rabbit:
Goat: мее [mee] (бее [bee] is for sheep; the verb for both is бле́ять)
Fish: бульбуль [bul'bul'] (бу́лькать)
Owl: ух [ukh] (у́хать)
Bee: жужу [zhuzhu] (жужжа́ть)
Mice: пипипи [pipipi] (пища́ть)
Lion/tiger: (рыча́ть)
"Ribbit" as the onomatopoeia for a frog's croaking is actually an interesting example of what TvTropes.org calls http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SoCalization - SoCalization . As the UK TV programme QI pointed out, there is only only one subspecies of frog whose cry actually sounds anything like "ribbit". That subspecies is native to California, which is why its cry became known all over the English-speaking world under the influence of Hollywood. I suspect the word "croak" itself could have served as the onomatopoeia before the spread of cinema and television.
vonPeterhof on 07 January 2013
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Thank you all for this start:) Can you also write it in Latin alphabet? So then I can
read it as well. By the way, very interesting about the ribbit!
rikrik on 07 January 2013
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Cat: miaou
Dog: ouaf ouaf or wouah wouah
Chick (female): cot cot cot
Rooster: cocorico
Pig: groin groin ??
Cow: Meuh
Donkey: Hi-han Hi-han
Bird: cui cui or piou piou
Horse: hiiiii (henissement)
Duck: coin coin
Snake: sssss
Rabbit: no sound
Goat: bêê !
Sheep: bêê !
Fish: no sound
Owl: Hou Hou
Bee: bzzz
Mice: no sound
Lion/tiger: graou
You could also check in a children book or here : http://www.laits.utexas.edu/hebrew/personal/language/an imals/sounds.html - http://www.laits.utexas.edu/hebrew/personal/language/animals /sounds.html
Tsopivo on 10 January 2013
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German:
Cat: miau
Dog: wau wau or wuff wuff
Chick (female): put put
Rooster: kikeriki
Pig: oink oink or grunz grunz
Cow: muuh
Donkey: i-ah i-ah
Bird: piep piep
Horse:
Duck: quack quack
Snake: sssss
Rabbit:
Goat: määh
Sheep: määh
Fish:
Owl:
Bee: sum sum
Mice:
Lion/tiger:
r0pe on 11 January 2013
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Polish:
Cat: miau
Dog: hau hau
Chick (female): ko ko ko
Rooster: kukuruku
Pig: chrum chrum
Cow: muu
Donkey:
Bird: ćwir ćwir
(althogh crows go kra kra)
Horse:
Duck: kwa kwa
Snake: sssss
Rabbit:
Goat: mee
Sheep: bee
Fish:
Owl: hu hu
Bee: bzzz
Mice:
Lion/tiger:
pesahson on 11 January 2013
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Polish:
Donkey: ioio
Gosiak on 11 January 2013
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Korean:
Cat: Yaong
Dog: Meongmeong or Walwal
Chicken: Koko or Kokodaek
Rooster: Kokio
Pig: Kulkul
Cow: Eummeh
Donkey: ?
Bird: Chaekchaek (sparrow)
Horse: Hihing
Duck: Kwaekkwaek
Snake: ?
Rabbit: ?
Goat: Meeh
Sheep: Meeh
Fish: ?
Owl: Pueongbueong
Bee: Wingwing
Mice: Chikchik
Lion/tiger: Eoheung
PS: All diphthongs are single vowels that don't exist in English.
Ojorolla on 12 January 2013
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Ojorolla wrote:
Lion/tiger: Eoheung
PS: All diphthongs are single vowels that don't exist in English. |
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I believe "eo" (ㅓ) is traditionally transcribed as /ʌ/, which definitely does exist in English (the closed syllable u-sound in "cup", "bus", etc.), although that transcription is apparently http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Korean_phonology#The_ pronunciation_of_the_vowel_.E3.85.93 - not without controversy .
vonPeterhof on 12 January 2013
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vonPeterhof wrote:
| I believe "eo" (ㅓ) is traditionally transcribed as /ʌ/, which definitely does exist in English (the closed syllable u-sound in "cup", "bus", etc.), although that transcription is apparently http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Korean_phonology#The_ pronunciation_of_the_vowel_.E3.85.93 - not without controversy . |
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In theory, you're right, but in practice, it's not as simple as that.
To a Korean's ear (a Seoulite like me, that is), English /ʌ/ sounds whether like 'ㅓ' or 'ㅏ'. So I would transcribe 'bus' as '버스' but for 'cup of coffee', '캅' is closer to what I hear, rather than '컵' which we conventionally use. And according to the wiki talk page you linked to, 'ㅓ' sounds like /ɔ/ to an American's ear. However, if an American speaks Korean realizing 'ㅓ' as the American /ɔ/,(I hear Americans speak Korean like this all the time), to a Korean it sounds more like an 'ㅗ', or somewhere between 'ㅓ' and 'ㅗ', and they end up sounding like North Koreans!(North-Korean 'ㅓ' is very close to Seoulite 'ㅗ')
It's as complicated as that, but I hope you understand what I mean...
Ojorolla on 12 January 2013
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Italian: Onomatopea (Name/Verb)
Cat: Miao (Miagolio/Miagolare)
Dog: Bau Bau more rarely vuf vuf (abbaio, guaito,uggiolio[when the dog seems to be
crying]/abbaiare,guaire,uggiolare)
Chicken: Coccodè ( cioccio,schiamazzo [rarest]/ chiocciare,schiamazzare)
Rooster: Chicchirichì (canto del gallo)
Pig: Oink oink ( grufolo,grugnito/grufolare,grugnire)
Cow: Muu (muggito/muggire)
Donkey: I-ò (raglio/ragliare)
Bird: gra gra (sparrow) (gracchiare)
Horse: I-ìì (Nitrito/nitrire)
Duck: Qua qua (starnazzo/starnazzare)
Snake: Ssssss (sibilo/sibilare)
Rabbit: ? (ziga)
Goat: /
Sheep: Beeee (belato/belare)
Fish: ?
Owl: U-ù (bubolare [rarest to the extreme extent]
Bee: Zzzzzz (ronzio/ronzare)--> like mosquito
Mice: Squit (squittio/squittire)
Lion/tiger: Groar, roar,rrrrr (ruggito/ruggire)
xander.XVII on 18 April 2013
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German (addition):
Owl: schu schu
Raven: krah krah
Fish: blub blub
Pig: quiek quiek
Elephant: törööö
Cabaire on 18 April 2013
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Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhsy6epaJGs
watupboy101 on 19 April 2013
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I love this. Here they are in English:
Cat: meow
Dog: woof
Chicken: bawk bawk
Rooster: cockadoodledoo
Pig: oink oink
Cow: moo
Donkey: yee ha
Bird: cheep cheep
Horse: nay
Duck: quack
Snake: sssss
Rabbit: ...do rabbits make sounds?
Goat: beeh
Sheep: baa
Fish: ....fish make noises?
Owl: hoo hoo
Bee: bzzz
Mice: ...silent as a mouse
Lion/tiger: rawr
vogue on 25 April 2013
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As far as I am aware, some animal sounds in Mandarin correspond directly with the word.
Eg:
Cat: 猫 Māo (this is the most obvious one)
Rabbit: 兔 Tù (the sound would be TùTù)
Monkey: 猴 Hóu
Sheep: 羊 Yáng (Yaaaaang)
Would love some confirmation on this!
Zomxilla on 16 May 2013
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Portuguese:
Cat: miau
Dog: au au
Chicken: có có
Rooster: cocoricó
Pig: óinc óinc
Cow: muuuu
Donkey: í ó
Bird: piu piu
Duck: quack
Goat: béééé
Sheep: bééé
Owl: ou ou
Bee: bzzz
fabriciocarraro on 16 May 2013
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vogue wrote:
I love this. Here they are in English:
...
Mice: ...silent as a mouse
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I associate mice with squeaking
leroc on 16 May 2013
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"What does the fox say?"
voxanimo on 18 October 2013
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