Monday, November 21, 2011

Onomatopoeia

 Reddit users were sharing the onomatopoeias of their native languages. Interesting enough, almost all of the examples were animal noises. You can look at he link yourself, or check out the list below.

American English:
  • meow = cat
  • woof = dog
  • moo = cow
  • knock knock = knocking on door
  • tweet tweet = bird
  • pow pow (or bang bang) = gun shooting
  • pew pew = blaster
  • who who = owl
  • cheep cheep = chick
  • neigh = horse
  • cockle-doodle-do = rooster
  • ribbit = frog
  • caw caw = seagull
  • bahhh = sheep
Brazilian Portuguese:
  • Miau = cat
  • Au au = dog
  • Muuu = cow
  • toc toc = knocking on door
  • Piu piu = smal chick
  • bam = gun shooting 
Cantonese:
  • mao = cat
  • gao = dog (their bark is woe woe)
  • nouw = cow
  • jew jew = laser beams (jew also means banana, "banana banana"! )
Catalan:
  • Miau = Cat
  • bup bup = Dog
  • Muuu = Cow
  • piu piu = Bird
  • toc toc = Knocking
  • Pam, Pum = Gun
Danish:
  • Mjauw = cat
  • Vov = dog
  • Muh = cow
  • Bank bank = knocking
  • Pip pip = bird
  • Bang = gunshot
    Dutch
    • Miauw = cat
    • Woef/waf = dog
    • Moe = cow
    • Klop klop = knocking on the door
    • Tjilp tjilp = bird
    • Pang = gun shooting
    • Vroem = car
    • Kwak kwak = duck 
    • Ka-ching/Ka-tjing! = cash register
    • knor knor = pig
      European Portuguese:
    • Miau = cat
    • Ão ão = dog
    • Muuu = cow
    • Truz truz = knocking on door
    • Piu piu = small chick
    • Bang = gun shooting
    • HAHA = laugh
    • Caim = Dog yelp
    Finnish:
    • miau = cat
    • vuh, hau = dog
    • muu (sometimes 'ammuu') = cow
    • kop kop = knocking on the door
    • piip piip = small bird
    • pam = gun shooting
    • titityy = bird
    • kvaak kvaak =duck ( "kääk" if the Duck is Donald )
    • röh röh = pig
    • böö = boo
      (The verb for frogs' sound is "kurnuttaa", it is not usually written as a sound itself, just as a verb.)
    •  
      French Canadian:
      • Miaou = cat
      • Wouf = dog
      • Meuh = cow
      • toc toc = knocking on the door
      • pit pit = bird (french canadian only)
      • pan = gun shooting, we use also "pow"
      • Vroum = car
      • coin coin = duck
      • Kashing! = sound of a cash register
      • groin groin = pig
      • toudoumtsi = rimshot
      • bouh = boo (when you try to scared someone)
      • rabbit rabbit = frog
      German:
      • Miau = Cat
      • Wau or Wuff = dog
      • Muh = cow
      • klopf klopf = knocking on door
      • gurrgurr = dove (there's no one for birds in general, at least I don't know it)
      • klopf klopf = knocking on the door
      • Brumm brumm = Car
      • Quak Quaak = Duck
      • Ding = Cash register
      • grunz grunz / oink oink = Pig
      • bada bum dschsch = rimshot
      • Buh! = scare
      • quaaaak quaaaack = frog
      • päng päng! = Gunshot
      Greek:
      • Μιαου = cat
      • Γουφ = dog
      • Μου = cow
      • τοκ τοκ = knocking on the door
      • τσιου τσιου = bird
      • Μπαμ = gun shooting
        Gujarati (ગુજરાતી):
        • મિયાંઉ = cat
        • ભાઉંભાઉં = dog
        • ભોંઓઓ = cow
        • ઠક ઠક = knocking on the door
        • ચીંચીં = bird (small)
        • ધડૂમ or ધડામ = gun shooting
        Icelandic:
        • Mjá = cat
        • Voff = dog
        • Mu/Mú = cow
        • Bank bank = knocking on the door
        • Bíbí = bird
        • Bang = gun shooting
          Irish Gaelic
          • miao = cat
          • bhuf = dog
          • mú = cow
          • cnag cnag = knocking on the door
          • tsíp tsíp = bird
          • plimp = gun shooting
          Japanese
          • Nya-Nya = cat
          • wan-wan = dog
          • don-don = knock
          • chun-chun = pigeon
          • ban = gun
          • gero-gero = frog
          • ki-ki = monkey
          • shuwa-shuwa = sparkling
          • ju-ju = grilling meat
          • goshi-goshi = washing something
          • momi-momi = squeezing body parts (i.e. boobs)
              Korean:
              • (야옹) ya-ong = cat
              • (멍멍 / 왈왈) mung-mung / war-war = dog
              • (음메) mm-meh = cow
              • (톡톡) tok-tok = knock on door
              • (빵/팡) BBANG / PANG = gun shot
              • (빵빵) ppang-ppang = honk
              • (꽥) queck = duck
              • (꿀꿀) kkool-kkool = pig
              • (짹짹) check-check = small bird
              • (히히잉) hee-hee-heeing = horse
              • (꼬끼오) kko-kkio = rooster
              • (찌지직) chi-zi-zick = ripping paper
              • (두근 두근) doo-goon doo-goon = heart beat
                  Norwegian
                  • Mjau = Cat
                  • Voff = Dog
                  • Bank bank = Knocking
                  • Pip pip = Bird
                  • Pang = Gunshot
                  • Kykkeliky = Rooster 
                  • Nøff = Pig
                  • Bæææ = Sheep
                  Polish:
                  • Miał miał = cat
                  • Hał hał = dog
                  • Muuu = cow
                  • Puk, puk = knocking on the door
                  • Paf paf = gun
                  • Ćwir Ćwir = bird
                  • Puk Puk = knocking
                  Russian (Русский):
                  • Мяу [Myaoo] = cat
                  • Гав [Gaw] = dog
                  • Мууу [Mooo] = cow
                  • Тук-тук [Took-took] = knocking on the door
                  • Чик-чирик [Chyk-chyrik] = bird
                  • Бах or бам [Bakh or bam] = gun shot or an explosion
                  • Хахахаха [hahahaha] = laughter
                  • Kukariku = Rooster
                  • Hruk = Pig
                    Spanish:
                    • Miau = cat
                    • Guau guau = dog
                    • Muuu = cow
                    • toc toc = knocking on the door
                    • pio pio = bird
                    • pum = gun shooting
                    • ja ja ja= laughing
                    Swedish:
                    • Mjau = cat
                    • Vov = dog
                    • Muu = cow
                    • Knack knack = knocking on the door
                    • kvitter = bird
                    • Pang = gun shooting
                    • Gnägg = Horse
                    • Pip pip = Mouse
                    • Nöff = Pig
                    • Bääää = Shepp
                    • Grrrr = Tiger
                    • Kvitt kvitt = Bird
                    • Kraa Kraa = Crow
                    • Kvack = Duck
                    • Hoo hoo = Owl
                    • Kuckeli kuu = Rooster
                    • Kväk = Frog

                        3 comments:

                        1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

                          ReplyDelete
                        2. I love how other language's animal noises can be so different and yet still sound kinda like the actual animal.

                          ReplyDelete
                        3. a danish duck says 'rap rap' :D

                          ReplyDelete