http://game-of-you.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] game-of-you.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2006-02-16 11:47 am

Creature Languages, 2/16, Period 3

"We are now transitioning to the language of cats.

The cat, also called the domestic cat or house cat, is a small feline carnivorous mammal of the subspecies Felis silvestris catus. Its most immediate pre-domestication ancestor is the African wild cat, Felis silvestris lybica. The cat has been living in close association with humans for at least 3,500 years; the Ancient Egyptians routinely used cats to keep mice and other rodents away from their grain, and also believed that cats were sacred to the goddess Bastet. The history of the domestic cat may stretch back even further, as 8,000-year-old bones of humans and cats were found buried together on the island of Cyprus. Because the domestication of the cat is relatively recent, cats may also still live effectively in the wild, often forming small colonies. The cat's association with humans leads it to figure prominently in the mythology and legends of several cultures, including the ancient Egyptians, Vikings, and Chinese.

The unique sound a small cat makes is written onomatopoeically as "meow" in American English; "meow" or "miaow" in British English; "miaou" or "miaw" in French; "miao" in Mandarin Chinese and Italian; "miau" in German, Spanish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Polish, Croatian, Romanian and Portuguese; "miau" or "מיאו" in Hebrew;"miyav" in Turkish; "mjäu" in Estonian; "mowa'a" in Arabic; "nyaa" or "nyan" in Japanese; "meong" or "ngeong" in Bahasa Indonesia; "ngiau" in Malay; "nyau" in Swahili; "yaong" or "nyaong" in Korean; and various ways in other languages. The cat's pronunciation of this call varies significantly depending on meaning. Usually cats call out to indicate pain, request human attention (to be fed or played with, for example), or as a greeting. Some cats are very vocal, and others rarely call out. Cats are capable of about 100 different vocalisations, compared to about 10 for dogs. And that is only the vocal language that humans can detect; when combined with gestures and other means of expression, cats have a vocabulary and culture that nears that of many humans."

Consider this all the next time you encounter a feline. I am playing a documentary on jungle cats with subtitles, so that you may learn to recognize their language."

"Miss Hopeless-Savage, Miss Matthews -- I will expect you in my office on Wednesday to discuss next Thursday's class."
swerval_zero: (Default)

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[personal profile] swerval_zero 2006-02-16 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Zero signs in.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] walter-n-wires.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 05:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Walter signs in

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] lovechildblair.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Blair signs in

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] the4thsister.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 05:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Paige signs in
stykera: (Default)

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[personal profile] stykera 2006-02-16 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Stark signs in.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] bruiser-in-pink.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Molly signed in.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] lovechildblair.livejournal.com 2006-02-17 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
[actually, I'm just going to send you a voicemail!]

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] pure-blooddraco.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Draco signs in.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] anole-x.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Victor signs in.
soldtoarmenians: (Default)

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[personal profile] soldtoarmenians 2006-02-16 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Xander signed in. As ordered, like the Creature he is.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] strongestgirl.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Pippi signs in, Mr. Neilson leaves a Paw Print.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] courier-gavin.livejournal.com 2006-02-16 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Jake signs in.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] upforachase.livejournal.com 2006-02-17 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
Cordelia signs in.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] aka-vala.livejournal.com 2006-02-17 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
Vala signs in.

Re: Sign in, Creature, 02/16

[identity profile] sakuracchyan.livejournal.com 2006-02-17 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Sakura signs in.