Ukrainian cats don’t “meow”: here’s the correct term for that sound in Ukrainian.

Learning the Ukrainian language has become quite popular not only in Ukraine but also beyond its borders. However, due to a long history of Russification, many people still occasionally make mistakes, particularly in minor details, including the sounds of how animals communicate.

"Telegraph" will explain why in the Ukrainian language, cats do not "meow." It is important to note that the sounds made by animals are represented differently across various languages around the world.

An interesting example is the cat's meow, which in Ukrainian is traditionally represented as "nyav" or "nyau," while many other languages use "мяу" (Russian), "meow" (English), or "miau" (German).

The Ukrainian "nyav" more accurately conveys the soft, ringing sound of a cat's voice, characteristic of our phonetic system. The letter "n" at the beginning better reflects the nasal sound that cats often make when they start to meow.

In literary works and everyday speech, various variations can be found:

• "The little gray cat plaintively nyawked at the door."
• "The kitty nyav-nyav – asking for food."
• "Nyavchik-nyavchik, – called the cat upon seeing its owner."
• "Woke up from the loud nyawking of cats outside the window."

Additionally, there are many related words in the Ukrainian language:

• nyavkaty/nyavknuty;
• nyavkotity;
• nyavchaty;
• nyavkitlyvyy;
• nyavkotinnya.

Interestingly, the verb "nyavkaty" even has a figurative meaning – to speak in a thin, squeaky voice or to complain, whine:

• "Oh, don’t nyavk (Ukrainian) so plaintively, everything will be fine!"

Previously, "Telegraph" wrote about how to properly greet in Ukrainian during Christmas.