Onomatopeias question... just out of curiousity! :D
|
|
|
I'm just curious to know the onomatopeias used in different language because I often
use them in conversation.
For example, in French we'd say: "... and I fell -- Paf ! -- on the floor". While - I think - a native English would say: "... and I fell -- Bang! -- on the floor". or something similar. _______________________ Yet another exemple: When a French kid pretend to shoot an enemy he will say: "pan! pan!" While - I assume - an English speaker kid will say "blam! blam!" as in the comics. _______________________ Some more onomatopeias: A French coq/rooster says "cocorico" ! A dog: "ouaf! ouaf"! (pronounced "waf! waf!") A cat: "miaaaou" (close to the English "miew", eh?) A bird: "cui cui" A punch in the face: "Paf!" An explosion: "boum!" A clock: "tic-tac-tic-tac-tic..." A ringing clock (or 80's phone): "driiiing" A klaxon: "bip biiip!" A 20's klaxon: "honk! honk!" ... etc ______________________ So, people from everywhere, what are YOUR onomatopeias? |
|
|
|
I (from southeast USA) would say:
Fell on the floor -- bang or bam or boom or even plop Pretending to shoot -- bang, bang Rooster says -- cock-a-doodle-doo Dog says -- ruff, ruff or woof, woof Cat says -- meow Bird says -- tweet, tweet Cow says -- moo Pig says -- oink, oink Sheep says -- bah An explosion -- boom Clock -- tick tock A klaxon? Is that like a Klingon? :) My guess is horn and it goes beep, beep or honk, honk. Something hurts and I say -- ouch! |
|
|
|
I (from San Francisco, California) would say:
Fell on the floor -- BAM! Pretending to shoot -- bam-bam-bam Rooster says -- cock-a-doodle-doo Dog says -- woof Cat says -- meow Bird says -- tweet, tweet Cow says -- moo Pig says -- oink, oink Sheep says -- baaaaaaaah An explosion -- BOOM Clock -- tick tock Klaxon? Beep beep honk honk My guess is horn and it goes beep, beep or honk, honk. Something hurts and I say -- ouch! Or sometimes "Oshe" which is a contraction of "Oh shit," but I stop myself before saying the entire swear word. |
|
|
|
Common ones in Brazil (English pronunciation in quotes) :
rooster - cocorico - "cawcawreecaw" dog - au au - "ow ow" cat - miau - "meow" bird - piu piu - "pew pew" cow - múú - "moo" pig - coin coin - "coin coin" sheep - mééé - no exact vowel sound in English, similar to "lait" in French goat - bééé - same case explosion - bum - "boom" clock - tic tac , sometimes written tique-taque - "tick tuck" klaxon - bi bi - "bee bee" classy klaxon(oldies) - fon fon - "fawn fawn" post-hurt - Ai ! - "eye" ringing clock or phone(oldie) - trriimm - "trreeemm" |
|
|
|
My favorite in French is "tilt"
Does Pif-Gadget still exist? |
|
|
|
France, again.
sheep: mèèèèh (close to Brazilian Portuguese) cow: meuuuuuuh goat: bèèèèè (once again close to Portuguese) hurt: Aïïïïïïe (eye, like in Portuguese), aouh (aoo), ouch (oosh) Child hurt by another child: Aïïïïï-euuuh! (ayuh) --- The "euh" part is more to express his anger toward the other kid). Car: Vroum vroum Various impacts: Paf! Pim! Pang! Poum! Violent kick: chhhBAAA!! or ChhhPAAA!! (shhhBAA! shhhPAA!!) Wolf: aouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu (aooooooooooooooooooo) Lion, Tigre, and other growling creatures: grrr!!!, groar!!! When you want to mark each step of a complex move (dance, karaté, ...): hop... hop... and hop!, tac... tac... and tac! (you will say "hop" or "tac" each time a step is complete). By the way, I thought "klaxon" was an English word but I checked my dictionary and saw you actually use "horn". Sorry. |
|
|
|
Pif-gadget... I have never heard that one.
Pif was the hero of a comics ten years ago. |
|
|
|
Well, Messire, now you induced me into a mistake, I allways have wrote and said "horn"
, and then I used "klaxon" under your influence , I thought it was "trés chic" !!
Just kidding....
Vroum,vroum for cars is very good, kids say the same here in Brazil (vrum). |
|
|
|
Oh! I'm sorry for having this bad influence on you!
By the way, this make me think that I use "aïe" (French onomatopeia used when something hurts) also when I feel sorry for someone else. Does anything similar exist in other languages? Does the English speakers say "ouch" and the Portuguese speakers "ai" in this case? French and Portuguese seem to share many onomatopeias in common. I wonder why? But now, I know how to make myself understood if I have to speak to Portuguese speaking people who don't speak English ;) The conversation wouldn't go very far and would be a bit weird, but at least it would be very funny! :-D |
|
|
|
In Australia ... or Sydney at least:
Falling on the floor: "bang" (if you hit the floor hard) "plop" (if you fall like a lump of fat) "splat" (if the impact is enough to leave your body in pieces) Pretending to shoot an enemy: "bang bang" Hurt: "ow" or "ouch" A rooster: "cock-a-doodle-doo" A dog: "woof woof" (pronounced "waf! waf!") A cat: "meow" A cow: "moo" A pig says: "oink" A sheep or goat: "bah" or "mah" A bird ... well, that depends on what kind but the unspecified one would be: "tweet tweet" or "cheep cheep" A punch in the face: "bang" An explosion: "bang" or "boom" A clock: "tick-tock-tick-tock-tick..." A ringing clock (or 80's phone): "ring ring" A car: "broom" (the "oo" sounds like the one in "book") or "vroom" (rhymes with "room") A car horn: "beep beep" A 20's car horn: "honk honk" |
|
|
| Oui avec mon pote Hercule. |
|
|
|
What I would say, with my crazy mix of onomatopoeia from many different languages
and my own inventions...
Falling on the floor: Paf (resounding), dong (dull sound) Shooting: Bahng, bahng (with the /a:/ vowel) Hurt: Aïe Dog: Wong, wong Cat: Miao Cow: Moo Pig: kho, kho ("kh"= guttural sound) Bird: Jiw, jiw Sheep: méhéhéhé Slap: Paf Explosion: Bahng (with the /a:/ vowel) Car: Vrrroom (trilled "r") Car horn: Bah bah I'm odd, am I not? |
|
|
|
Here are a few Japanese ones. (There are LOADS actually, the full list would take
hundreds of pages)
silence : shiiiiiiiin someone running : ta ta ta ta ta ta something rolling on the floor : goro goro a kiss : chuuu big explosion : batan cat : nyaaa nyaaa dog : wan wan little bird : piyooo piyooo horse : hi hiiin cock : kokekokkoo goat : mèèè mèèè (seems to be very widespread this one) big monster : gaooooo And now, why not to give the most common name for a dog : French : Médor Italian : Fido Japanese : Pochi |
|
|
|
UK: Rover (for a dog) That's traditional - I have never met anything called Rover that wasn't made of metal and had 4 wheels. |
|
|
| Yeah, of course those names are rather used in comics and stuffs. :) |