Re: Animals' talk (jara: German letter names)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Amanda Babcock" <langs@...>

> On Sat, Jan 04, 2003 at 04:24:59PM -0500, Sally Caves wrote:
>
> > Cats:
> >
> > 1) Meow, 2) meaaaaaaaaaw, 3) ow, 4) mrrr, 5) mrrrp? 6) prrrrh prrrrh
prrrrh
> > prrrrh prrrrh,
>
> What about "prrraow?"  Or is that just something *I* say to the cat?  I
> forget.
Well, it's definitely something *I* say to Connie Groondy. (My cat).  I'm
trying to imitate her meow when she's purring.  The unvoiced plosive has to
be there with a strong trill. <G>

> > 7) myehmyehmyehmyehmyehmyeh!
>
> Wow, I've never heard this.  My cat is kind of jaded about Things In The
> Windows, possibly because she's never been out among them.
It's the cat's preparation for biting.  She's toning her lower jaw for the
catch.  It goes up and down like a little flag flapping in the wind.  Connie
also does this when I bring out the "spinning feather bird."  It has become
an utterance of excitement, and I've known her to do it when I'm trying to
catch her.

Another thing I like about cats is "fleming"!  You can't call it an
utterance, exactly.   Sniff sniff sniff, and then she raises her head and
there's a sneer on her face, her mouth partially open, her eyes narrowed
slightly.  She's engaging her vomero-nasal organ, which connects what she
"tastes" in her mouth with what she smells.  Wonderfully efficient.


Sally Caves
scaves@frontiernet.net
Eskkoat ol ai sendran, rohsan nuehra celyil takrem bomai nakuo.
"My shadow follows me, putting strange, new roses into the world."