Ten Sounds Your Cat Makes Explained by an Etymologist
contrary to popular belief, they don’t just talk about murder
1. Meow
Many people don’t realize that in the feline lexicon, meow is closely related to the Hawaiian word aloha. Some scholars say aloha is derived from the proto-Polynesian alo (presence) and hā (breath) to mean “the breath of life,” which is pure coincidence because your cat probably doesn’t want to smother the breath of life out of you.
Fun Fact: Cats meow only to humans — never to other cats.
2. Mew
From then Old French muser, meaning “to ponder, wonder, or waste time,” cats use this phrase when they wonder why you are not dropping everything to serve them. A mew is a shorter, higher-pitched meow used by kittens and sometimes adult cats wishing to communicate with humans in a manipulative, innocent-sounding way.
Whereas Meow might mean “Bring me my food, bitch” (note, cats do not say bitch in a misogynistic sense. They are comparing humans of all genders to canines, as a gender-inclusive insult), mew’s meaning is more akin to “I’m a widdle kittie who wants his yum yums.”
Fun fact: My own cat recently made a mew sound as he…
