Even The Rooster Has It’s Mother Language
When my class had come to the topic about animal sound, one student asked what the word “tik-ti-la-ok” meant. I said it’s how the rooster’s crow sound like in Filipino. She then smiled incredulously as if she thought I was joking. I could understand why, because the first time I learned about how the rooster crows in Swedish, I also laughed in disbelief. It sounds like this, “kuckeliku”.
Last week, I intentionally asked my work colleagues, who are teaching in their respective mother language, about the rooster’s crow. These are the three languages I managed to crow: (Thai) ek-e-ek-ek, (Finnish) kukkokickuu, (Bengali) kukuruku. I uttered repeatedly these words even trying to sound like crowing, but the sounds don’t give any sense to me.
I laughed again at the thought that this characteristic cry of a rooster has also like a mother language. Searching on these differences, I gathered information that this grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing, suggesting its source object is called Onomatopoeia. Meaning the sound is named or spelled as it does, like quack, bang, etc.
Native speakers of a certain language would not notice the relationship between onomatopoeia and the object they describe because words for the same basic sound can differ considerably between languages. Non-native speakers might be confused by the idiomatic words of another language, like for instance, the rooster’s cry. I proved it true since I learned Swedish. And no matter how the cry of the rooster sound in other languages, there is only sound that I can determine that makes sense in my ear. In my mother tongue Bisaya, the cry of the rooster is – “tok-to-ga-okk”!
About The Author
Mhy,
Eh ano naman kaya ang sound of money? Pe-Pe-Pe!?!? Hahahaha! Pasensya na muna sa blog ko ngayon fren. May konting experiments ako regarding PePePe at Gug. Let me see kung alisin nila ang PR ko pag humataw ako sa… If yes, maybe I will only make one prominent sound – “WAHHHHH!!!!”.
I hope the message was clear.
Reply
Marlene replied on March 24th, 2008:
Fren, I understand what you mean. Go on with your experiments at i-share mo sa amin ang conclusion ha, hehee. Ano bang hypothesis mo sa ngayon?
The sound of money is P – pengar sa swedish, pera sa atin, pesetas sa spanish hahaa…
Reply
My, this is very funny. Actually, In Malaysia, we do it the way your bangali friends said “kukkruku…” hahahaha now, i am laughing…sometimes, i say “ku ku ku ku” too when I see one, because my girl loves to see roosters in the morning.
Yup, how mother tongue could also influence language if a rooster right? heheheh
Reply
Marlene replied on March 24th, 2008:
Farah, I can’t imagine how big the difference is the rooster’s cry in different languages. It’s so funny! You know, I thought of asking my other colleagues who’s mother language is arabic, chinese, vietnamese and more
.
Reply
LMAO! I didn’t know animals spoke different languages! I think Farah is right, in Malaysia they roosters does sound the way she described them …
Reply
Marlene replied on March 24th, 2008:
That’s what exactly onomatopeia means – describing the sound like it suggests from it’s source. In your language, kukuruku describes the sound of a rooster.
Reply
Huh? Bisaya ka rin Marlene? Nagulat naman ako. Natawa ako dito sa post mo haha iba2x pala tilaok ng manok ,depends on what is the language of the place. Diko na research yun ah..That’s new to me talaga. Salamat sa visit sa health blog ko. I have added you sa blogroll dun.
You may care to visit my Bible Blog
Reply
Marlene replied on March 24th, 2008:
Aba Joy, bisaya ka pud, na pareho pala ta niani, hehee…
I only knew about it when I learned swedish kasi.
Oh, salamat kaayo Joy. I like your other blog, too. Ang dami mong blog may time ka pa kaya niyan sa sarili mo, hehee. I’ll add you, too.
Reply
you totally made me look twice if I had landed on the right blog! LOL you changed your template, and honestly (and sincerely) this is very pretty and clear! Love the larger area for the posting. very nice job My- now I know what’s keeping you busy. heheheheh.
and My, I LOVEEE the inline comment you have here too. It’s so easy to see the replies. How do you do it??? teach me too (but I guess, using blogger, my options are limited)
abt the rooster sound, I am eager to know what your arabic friend has to say, I bet their rooster would have noise from the deep throat! LOL opsss!!! LOL LOL
Reply
oh, another thing: NOW I ENVY YOUR BLOG!!! and I envy your comment form too! hahahhahahahaha
Reply
oh, there’s another! I love the feature of ‘comment moderation enabled for first time commenter only’ so cool! ok My, I better not send you more comments because I am sure while looking at your blog again, I would have more comments. hahahahhaha lovely job My! really love it.
Reply
Marlene replied on March 24th, 2008:
Farah, you must be the joyous blogger around .
This is the theme I’ve been busying around for 2-3 weeks, I should have uploaded this in time for the 7th year, but couldn’t make it. There’s more to be modified so it would look the way I want it. The comment form is built-in the theme, thank you very much. Otherwise i go crazy creating mine.
Hahaa, I will inform you how the rooster crow in Arabic, i’m also eager to learn. When I hear them talk, it sounds like this – habhu habalakalalwa! Sssh!
I am not familiar with blogger myself, but you can try the free wordpress so you can compare which one is easier. So by the time when you get your domain, you’re fixed. But if you get confused which one, well, don’t blame me, heheee..
Reply
haha ako rin tok-to-ga-okk lng alam ko. neer thought even roosters sounds different in other countries!
) prang s amga palaga… dito kokak-korak! sa iba eeeh creeebet! (tama ba un??) hehehe
anyway like your new theme te marlene… belated happy easter!
tceee!
Bojoy
Reply
Marlene replied on March 24th, 2008:
Thank you, Bojoy. Awws, dito ang palaka, kwak kwak naman. Parang pato yata yun sa atin, heheee…
Tapos ka narin sa theme mo? Makabuang man ni sige usab theme, pero enjoy man sad.
Reply
Naaliw naman ako sa post mo sis. Bakit nga kaya iba-iba rin ang tilaok ng manok? Pati nga sa palaka iba din, kokak sa atin, sa ingles ribbet, haha ano pa kya ang iba?
Teka, ilang araw lang ako nawala, iba na ang theme mo, napansin ko agad sa Title, kasi iba kesa dati, tapos nung na-load na ang site, confirmed ibang theme na nga gamit mo.
This theme looks fresh, at ang dami mong added features like digg, stumble, etc.
Reply
Marlene replied on March 24th, 2008:
Amor, ribbet pala ang sound ng palaka sa ingles, naku, di ko alam yun ah, heheee. Dito kasi daming iba-ibang language kaya nalaman ko ang mga yun.
Oo, nga, san ka ba nagbakasyon? Pabalik-balik ako sa site mo, kaya sa shoutbox na ako nag-greet sa yo. Isip ko nga baka nag-holy week vacation ka.
Hehe, lahat yan built-in na sa theme na ito, kaya di ko na inalis para kunwari, seryosong blogging na talaga, hehee. Ayoko ng title na mahaba sa itaas kaya uulitin ko yun, hehe.
Reply
hey!You changed a new layout.I like it.:)
Reply
Marlene replied on March 25th, 2008:
Thanks, sweetie. I need to do this sometimes, otherwise, i get bored blogging, too, hehee.
Reply
My, yeah I’ve heard from a lot of source that wordpress is far better than blogger in terms of features. hmm so you are saved! this great comment features come with the theme, otherwise, you might have to brief me long and wide on how to get the plugins installed! LOL
it’s a lovely template and it surely has great featues (by which, I am envy of) LOL can’t wait to see the final one from you. (and get more envy) heheheheheh
Reply
Marlene replied on March 25th, 2008:
Got it, Farah. I’m not that tech savvy to create my own theme, hehee. It wil take a little more time before I can create my own. For now, i’ll stick to modifying themes to learn more. :-;
Reply
You are talking too much about your school activities these days, you must share some of your earning from adsense with your school admin
. Nicely written post.
Reply