# Are there any universal vocal exclamations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271 "2010-07-19T20:52:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/21 "2010-07-21T04:44:24Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > … > > Very unlikely, as it’s a word of American English origin. If it’s used in many languages today, it’s only because of the influence of American culture. Where is your etymology of ‘OK’ coming from? As far as I am aware (or can Google) the origin is unknown. It was first documented in America but this doesn’t mean it is of American English origin. I’m not having a go here i’m just interested to know if the origin has been proven yet. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/22 "2010-07-21T05:01:12Z")
I really doubt there are any. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/23 "2010-07-21T05:24:58Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > Where is your etymology of ‘OK’ coming from? As far as I am aware (or can Google) the origin is unknown. It was first documented in America but this doesn’t mean it is of American English origin. I’m not having a go here i’m just interested to know if the origin has been proven yet. I thought it was pretty well established that it came from an early 1800s fad of abbreviations with purposeful mispellings, in this case meaning “oll/orl korrect.” It was then popularized in a campaign slogan (Van Buren, Old Kinderhook.) Has this been called into question? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/24 "2010-07-21T05:26:50Z")
[Cecil’s column on OK](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for). > [@](#): > > Despite the fact that the origin of OK was conclusively established decades ago, few etymological dictionaries, even recent ones, give it accurately > > […] > > The letters, not to keep you guessing, stand for “oll korrect.” They’re the result of a fad for comical abbreviations that flourished in the late 1830s and 1840s. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/25 "2010-07-21T07:57:56Z")
How about the sharp intake of air when encountering sudden pain? You know, this ‘sfff’-kind of sound. Like getting a papercut or bumping your shin on an edge, in that first instant when you just notice the pain without yet being consciously aware of what’s happened. Often followed by some ‘ahh’-kind of sound when that first instant passes. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_gnomer/32/3466_2.png) [@Miss\_Gnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/26 "2010-07-21T10:57:31Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > What do you think about the voluntary/involuntary nature of such expressions? Are you more or less likely to say “ouch” if you stub your toe, or “eek” if you see a bug, depending on whether you are alone or in company? I think a lot of exclamations are done to communicate with people around you (to elicit help, warn etc) - probably without a lot of awareness that that is what you are doing. I live alone and find myself often with a momentary awareness that there is no point to respond verbally to pain etc. Though I had an incident the other day where I dislocated my finger and noise came out of me that was completely involuntary - it surprised me (and once again reinforced that I usually say “oww” voluntarily, even when alone). ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Design](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Random\_Design](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random_Design)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/27 "2010-07-22T14:09:06Z")
Shhh? > **[Is shhh an international word?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=559618)** > > Is it a word even? What I mean is, is it a culturally universal sentiment? What other ways are there of telling people “Quiet!”? Is the finger held over lips culturally universal? ---
**Author:** ![Penguinlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Penguinlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penguinlady)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/28 "2010-07-22T19:28:28Z")
I believe that the vocalizations that babies make are universal. They all cry, they all giggle, and they all seem to blow bubbles while trying to make their first word sounds, which usually seem to be some variation on “mmmmaaaa.” ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/29 "2010-07-25T02:52:14Z")
> [@Random\_Design](#): > > Shhh? > > [Is shhh an international word? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=559618) On a related note, when you want a small child to urinate, do you use a word that ends with the “ee” sound? I know in several languages it’s either “pee”, “wee” or “shee.” ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/30 "2010-07-25T15:28:30Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > On a related note, when you want a small child to urinate, do you use a word that ends with the “ee” sound? I know in several languages it’s either “pee”, “wee” or “shee.” I’d go with “pssss”, personally, but I’ve never had to get a small child to urinate. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/31 "2010-07-25T18:55:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@Fubaya](#): > > > > Uhhh… > > > > Is that universal? I’ve heard people speaking other languages use “uhh” or “ehh” when searching for a word. > > I don’t think so - I’ve heard francophones use something like “la-la-la” when searching for a word. In Spanish (Mexican variety, at least), I was surprised to learn that the word/sound for this is “este”. It seems like quite a long, complex way to say “uhh”, but they really do use it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/32 "2010-07-26T10:38:54Z")
“Este” or “esto” (lit. “this thing”) basically stands for “this thing whose name I can’t come up with, damnit what was it called it’s on the tip of my tongue where is a dictionary when you need one”. It’s something learned, and learned pretty late: children don’t do it (I’d say it starts at tweens). We do say “eeeeh…” as well, but it’s considered better to use the word, it indicates “one moment, I’m thinking and not having a stroke” better than an inarticulate sound. If you just go “eeeeh” and your age is in double digits, people are likely to think you are having a medical problem. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/33 "2010-07-26T11:16:08Z")
“hey” ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/34 "2010-07-26T13:37:58Z")
No, I’ve been hearing “hey” in Spanish but until very recently its Spanish usage had been restricted to Julio Iglesias. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271/35 "2010-07-26T20:19:48Z")
The scream of agony as one is burning to death in the firey car crash. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-universal-vocal-exclamations/547271.md?page=1)