# to sing (birds / humans)



## Radioh

Hello, everyone.
I'd like to know whether your languages have two seperate words meaning 'sing'. One is used for birds and one for humans. Because, as far as I am aware, English does not, birds sing and humans sing, too.
In my language, we do have two seperate words. 'Hót' is used for birds, 'Hát' for humans. They look very similar, only different vowels. What about your languages ?
Looking forwards to your replies. Thank you.
R.


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## mataripis

Tagalog:Human:Awit/Bird: Huni


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## ger4

Latvian: _dzied__āt (humans & birds)

_German: _singen (humans & birds)_


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## SuperXW

What do you say about the English words "tweet" and "chirp"?


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## apmoy70

In Greek:

To sing: *«Τραγουδώ»* [tɾaɣuˈðo], and *«τραγουδάω»* [tɾaɣuˈða.o] < Classical v. *«τραγῳδέω/τραγῳδῶ» trăgǭdéō* (uncontracted)/*trăgǭdõ* (contracted) --> _to act as a singer and dancer in the tragic choir, to treat in a tragedy_ < Classical fem. noun *«τραγῳδίᾱ» trăgǭdíā* --> _tragedy, elevated poetry, grand display_ < compound; masc. noun *«τράγος» trágŏs* --> _billy goat, buck_ lit. _gnawer_; the animal would have been given as prize to the winner in the oldest dramatic contest (name probably onomatopoeic) + Classical fem. noun *«ᾠδὴ» ǭdḕ* --> _song_ (possibly from PIE *h₂ueid-, _to sing_ with no cognates outside of Greek).
Ancient Greeks preferred the v. *«ἀείδω» ăeídō*, Attic var. *«ᾄδω» á̩dō* < *«ᾠδὴ» ǭdḕ* (see above).
Song: *«Τραγούδι»* [tɾaˈɣuði] (neut.) < Byz. neut. diminutive *«τραγούδιν» tragoúdin*, and *«τραγῴδιν» tragǭ́din* <  *«τραγῳδίᾱ» trăgǭdíā* (see above).
Ancient Greeks preferred the neut. noun *«ᾆσμᾰ» ą̃smă* < *«ἀείδω» ăeídō *(see above). 

To sing (for birds): *«κελαηδώ»* [cela.iˈðo], and *«κελαηδάω»* [cela.iˈða.o] < Classical v. *«κελαδέω/κελαδῶ» kĕlădéō* (uncontracted)/*kĕlādõ* (contracted) --> _to sound, make sharp sound_ (with obscure etymology).
Bird song: *«κελάηδισμα»* [ceˈla.iðizma] (neut.) < Classical neut. noun *«κελάδημα» kĕládēmă*.



SuperXW said:


> What do you say about the English words "tweet" and "chirp"?


*«Τιττύβισμα»* [tiˈtivizma] (neut.) --> _tweet_ (onomatopoeic), *«τερέτισμα»* [teˈɾetizma] (neut.) --> _chirp_ (onomatopoeic)


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## Radioh

SuperXW said:


> What do you say about the English words "tweet" and "chirp"?



Well, I did not mention those verbs because, unlike English, we do not have so many words used to describe the sound of birds. When you hear a bird sing, what verb do you usually use to describe the sound ? And is that verb used for humans, too ? My apologies for not being clear.
R.


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## ger4

SuperXW said:


> What do you say about the English words "tweet" and "chirp"?


Latvian: čivināt
German: zwitschern

---
 Update: Reading rusita preciosa's post reminds me of the fact that German distinguishes between "Singvögel/songbirds" and other birds as well... of course...
Humans: *singen* (sing)
Songbirds (e.g. nightingales): *singen* (sing)
Other birds: *zwitschern* (chirp/tweet)


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## rusita preciosa

Russian
Humans: *петь* /pet'/ (sing)
 Songbirds (e.g. nightingales): *петь* /pet'/ (sing)
Other birds: *чирикать* /tchirikat'/ (chrirp/tweet)


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## Radioh

Yeah, rusita's post reminds me of that distinction, too. 'Kêu'(lit. call) is used for birds that do not 'sing' very beautifully.
R.


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## bibax

In Czech: the birds also sing but not all, only the songbirds (Oscines, Passeriformes).

Humans: *pěti, zpívati* (= to sing);
Songbirds: ditto;
Other birds: *křičeti* (= to cry, to shout, to scream, to shriek) or more specifically e.g. houkati = to hoot, kokrhati = to crow, etc.;

Noun: *pěvec* = 1) opera singer (pop/rock singer is zpěvák), 2) any bird of the order Passeriformes;


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## SuperXW

Radioh said:


> Well, I did not mention those verbs because, unlike English, we do not have so many words used to describe the sound of birds. When you hear a bird sing, what verb do you usually use to describe the sound ? And is that verb used for humans, too ? My apologies for not being clear.
> R.


The common verb for Chinese to describe a bird make sound is not "sing", but 叫 jiao4 "cry out". In Chinese, only a human can "sing".
We may also say the bird "sings" 唱 chang4, but that would be a intended personification, implying the bird's sound is beautiful and the writer is in a good mood.


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## arielipi

Hebrew:
humans שרים sharim sing, as well as birds, though humans have many more words for singing while birds are only singing.
also birds can tweet in the sense of singing (i.e. tweet is used instead of sing, pretty common)


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## 810senior

Japanese:
Human - utau[to sing]
Birds - saezuru[to chirp], naku[to cry], utau[to sing]

*Tori ga saezuru*, *tori ga naku* are commonly said but *tori ga utau* sounds some poetic to me.


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## Sudani

Arabic:

For Birds: يغرد (yugharrid) as in hebrew means to tweet but used for singing (mostly used for songbirds but have seen it in use for all birds in general as well).

For Humans: يغني (yughanny) meaning to sing

For all other birds specific words for each type of bird are used for instance for eagles: يغقغق (yughak-ghik) for hoopoes: يهدهد (yuhad-hid) etc.


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## Luxiaofeng

> The common verb for Chinese to describe a bird make sound is not "sing",  but 叫 jiao4 "cry out". In Chinese, only a human can "sing".
> We may also say the bird "sings" 唱 chang4, but that would be a intended  personification, implying the bird's sound is beautiful and the writer  is in a good mood.



You are right, SuperXW. Have learned Chinese and do agree with this. 

Hi Radioh,



> Well, I did not mention those verbs because, unlike English, we do not have so many words used to describe the sound of birds



We do have some other words such as "gù" or "gáy" to describe the act of a bird sings, too. 

Cheers,
LXF.


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## ger4

Estonian:

- _lind_ - bird
- _siristama_ - to twitter
- _linnud siristavad_ - birds twitter

- _laululind_ - songbird
- _laulma_ - to sing (humans and songbirds)
- _inimesed ja laululinnud laulavad_ - humans and songbirds sing


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## WestFevalia

French:

- _chanter _(humansand birds)- _gazouiller_ (birds and babies)
- _gazouiller_ (birds and babies)
- _pépier_ (birds; maybe used for babies too but I never heard it myself)
- _cuicuiter_ (it's a funny, colloquial word used by children for birds: from _cui-cui_, tweet-tweet. Also used for babies by parents when they're going gaga over their little darlings)


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## ilocas2

> Russian
> .
> .
> Other birds: *чирикать* /tchirikat'/ (chrirp/tweet)



In Czech there is *čiřikat* too, I looked on Wiktionary and there is Russian verb  щебетать, in Czech there is *štěbetat* too.


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## Armas

Finnish added (underlined)



Holger2014 said:


> Estonian:
> 
> - _lind_ - bird - lintu
> - _siristama_ - to twitter - sirkuttaa, visertää, livertää, sirittää (siristää means to squint!)
> - _linnud siristavad_ - birds twitter - linnut sirkuttavat
> 
> - _laululind_ - songbird - laululintu
> - _laulma_ - to sing (humans and songbirds) - laulaa
> - _inimesed ja laululinnud laulavad_ - humans and songbirds sing - ihmiset ja laululinnut laulavat


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## rusita preciosa

ilocas2 said:


> there is Russian verb  щебетать


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## ThomasK

[Moderator's Note: Merged with a previous thread]_
(I don't think this is a typical Xmas question, but I do wish you a merry or a musical Christmas if you...)_

I am simply looking for the common verbs you use for the "music" birds make. I believe birds *sing* and *whistle* in English mainly, and maybe they also twitter (which seems to imply an iterative aspect, as is suggested by "-er").

Dutch only uses _*fluiten*_. Kwetteren (twitter) is possible but not the most common verb. _Fluiten_ reminds us of _fluit_, i.e., flute, the musical instrument, but the main root is said to be blow, Lat. flare, and could be onomatopaeic (fl- suggesting a fairly soft sound)... They do not sing (Dutch: _zingen_).


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## elroy

The most common English verb used to refer to this is definitely _chirp_.

In Arabic, I would say غرّد is probably the most common.


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## ThomasK

I see, but as for English: aren't whistle and sing "fairly common"? We have _tsjilpen_ as well in Dutch, but it seems fairly specific to me. It is not in English, I guess.

Coudl you comment on the Arab word, on its meaning (or origin)?


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## elroy

Maybe I misunderstood the question.  _Chirp_ is simply the default verb for the sounds birds make.  _Sing_ and _whistle_ can be used, but they're "borrowed" from the language used to refer to human sounds - is that what you're looking for?
_
Sing_ is far more common than _whistle_ in my experience.  _Whistle_ is more commonly used to refer to sound of wind. 

غرّد is like _chirp_; it's a word used to refer to the sounds birds make.


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## ThomasK

No, no, it is quite OK. I am looking for default verbs and common ones, but the "metaphorical" ones are just as welcome.I referred to _whistle_ because I thought it was equally common as our _fluiten_, but I seem to be mistaken...


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