Quote:
The Dutch, it seems have an unusual way of hearing animals spelling what they hear. While most languages hear some kind of “moo-moo” or “mu-mu’’ from the cow, the Dutch hear a cow say 'boe” or “boeh,” which to me sounds a little like a “beuh.” The Ethiopian I consulted said a cow there says “e-bah,” making me wonder just how many cows there might be in Ethiopia.
Cue 250 Venture Capitalists booking their flights to Ethiopia at the same time
I recall learning in German 101 that to Germans, a dog’s bark is pronounced by humans as “wau-wau.” (the W sound in German is like an English V, of course.) Later I read that it’s “haf-haf,” and ever since, I’ve had something to think about when I can’t get to sleep any other way.
I just wanted to add that the ancient Egyptian word for cat is miaow.
Hey, I beat AW to this one:
[swiss accent]
Please add a link to the column to which you are replying!
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In this case, it’s How do non-English speakers make animal noises?
We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion.
Come to think of it, I’ve never heard a dog say “bow wow”. Woof, arf, ruff, errf, ber-er-er-er-er-er, and aayieeek, aayieek, aayieeek, but no bow wow.