# Non-english animal onomatopoeia

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-animal-onomatopoeia/691034>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [June 18, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-animal-onomatopoeia/691034 "2014-06-18T03:07:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![grue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9bd4f/32.png) [@grue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grue)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-animal-onomatopoeia/691034/1 "2014-06-18T03:07:51Z")

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> **[How do non-English speakers make animal noises?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342347/how-do-non-english-speakers-make-animal-noises)**

> [@](#):
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> Anyway, to your question. Hank has scanned his animal-sound database for reports on the wildebeest, but in vain. “No gnus,” he says.

Well of course not. No gnus is good gnus.

I always liked how the Spanish onomatopoeia for “purr” is “ronroneo.” That actually makes more sense to me. On the other hand, “doki doki” is a poor substitute for the “ba-bump, ba-bump” of one’s heart.

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**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-animal-onomatopoeia/691034/2 "2014-06-18T13:43:10Z")

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It is slightly ironic that the gnu, AKA wildebeest was the animal inquired about.

My understanding was that “gnu” was the rendering of the onomatopoeic native name for the animal, based on its vocalizations, which are a sort of gutteral grunt.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-animal-onomatopoeia/691034/3 "2014-06-18T21:24:11Z")

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When young wildebeest misbehaved, Mommy Wildebeest said to Daddy Wildebeest, “You’ve got to paddle your own gnu.”

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-animal-onomatopoeia/691034/4 "2014-06-19T01:54:17Z")

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And “ron” is at least sometimes used for “purr” in Italian, too.