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When I was young, I learned that that cows go “moo,” ducks go “quack,” and sheep go “baa.”
This sort of vocabulary is rarely taught in school, at least not when learning a second language. When we start learning a new language, we begin with the basics. After all, learning how to ask for directions and how to ask how much something costs is far more important than knowing what your favorite animals sound like in the language you're learning!
So it can be somewhat of a shock when years down the line, you discover that your beloved pet sounds different in another language. Why is it that dogs go 'woof' in the U.S., and “ouaf-ouaf” in France, but "guau-guau" in Spain?
It would be great if you started studying animal sounds right now. Only people who are truly fluent could translate words like "meow."
The language you speak affects the way your mind divides up sounds, which is why it can be hard to understand a new language, even once you've mastered the basic vocabulary and grammar. .
The words we use to represent animal noises are basically all onomatopoeic.
In other words, the vocabulary is based on the sound itself, and simulates the sound that the animals make.
English pigs go “oink,” but Japanese pigs say “boo boo.” A bee “buzzes” in English, but goes “vizzz” in Turkish.
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