fossilesque@mander.xyz to 196@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish · 11 days agoCats Rulemander.xyzimagemessage-square13fedilinkarrow-up1406arrow-down13
arrow-up1403arrow-down1imageCats Rulemander.xyzfossilesque@mander.xyz to 196@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish · 11 days agomessage-square13fedilink
minus-squareAllNewTypeFace@leminal.spacelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up36arrow-down1·11 days agoThe Japanese word for cat, “neko”, apparently etymologically translates as “quadruped that goes ‘nyan’” (which is the Japanese equivalent of “meow”). The Mandarin word for cat, IIRC, is “mao”.
minus-squareDa Bald Eagul@feddit.nllinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up32·11 days agoThe cat’s penis (Mao Zedong)
minus-squareFonzie!@ttrpg.networklinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up20·11 days agoAlso, small birds are “tori” in Japanese, likely after the sing-song sound they make (tri-tri-triii) Ducks are named after a quacking sound in English… And Indonesian&Malaysian; “bebek”! I could go on for a while but in general it’s not very uncommon for animals to be named like a Pokémon!
minus-squarechildOfMagenta@lemm.eelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·10 days agoIn thaï and lao it’s meo also.
minus-squaregandalf_der_12te@lemmy.blahaj.zonelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·edit-210 days agoI read somewhere that there’s another story of origin (maybe folk etymology though) that “Neko” means something like “star-child” (nagareboshi no ko)
The Japanese word for cat, “neko”, apparently etymologically translates as “quadruped that goes ‘nyan’” (which is the Japanese equivalent of “meow”). The Mandarin word for cat, IIRC, is “mao”.
The cat’s penis (Mao Zedong)
Also, small birds are “tori” in Japanese, likely after the sing-song sound they make (tri-tri-triii)
Ducks are named after a quacking sound in English… And Indonesian&Malaysian; “bebek”!
I could go on for a while but in general it’s not very uncommon for animals to be named like a Pokémon!
In thaï and lao it’s meo also.
I read somewhere that there’s another story of origin (maybe folk etymology though) that “Neko” means something like “star-child” (nagareboshi no ko)