How do animals sound across languages?
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For many, our first memories of learning animal sounds include the song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” The song has been translated into at least 25 languages, and a curious finding reveals itself when we compare these translations: English cows go
“moo”
, while French cows go
“meuh”
, and Korean cows go
“음메”
. These differences raise the question: how can cultures hear the same physical sounds yet translate them into language so differently? Analyzing animal onomatopoeia across languages can demystify how we shape sound into meaning.
https://pudding.cool/2025/03/language/?utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=66c4c06e5d78644b3aab4472
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I didn't enjoy the graphic presentation, found it too distracting. A few news sites (WaPo) experimented with this type of story telling.
Years ago I learned the IPA. It's very cool to be able to read IPA and hear oneself sounding like a Scotsman right away. Quite fun.
Onomatopoeia across languages doesn't grab me too much, but a linguist I am not. What I find more interesting is that animals seemingly understand the language of their native environments. French cats understand French! (apparently)
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I had a friend in grade school whose German Shepard dog only obeyed/understood commands given in German.
Amazing dog. Wish I could remember the commands.
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Tangentially related… I have been fascinated by the words for various animals in Ojibwe. Some are related to the sounds the animals make.
Baakaakwenh is chicken. (aa is a broad a sound, the “enh” syllable is kind of a nasal short e sound.) When I have heard it spoken, the second syllable is stressed and held for an extra moment. In fact, in some dialects they spell it Baaka’aakwenh.
Owl is Kookookoo (oo is somewhere between oo and long o) It is sometimes spelled Gookooko’oo, depending on dialect.
Chickadee is Gijigijigaaneshiinh (ii spells the long e sound, e says long a).
I am not an Ojibwe speaker but a friend taught me some words several years back and my students and I learn some through the year. But any errors in spelling or pronunciation descriptions are on me.
