Mew

[swedeheart]

Asking as a non-native speaker: 'mew' as a noun, for what a cat/kitten says. It seems far less common than 'meow' or 'miaow', but I need to use 'mew' for rhyming reasons. The internet tells me it's doable, mew can be used as a noun. But there is some confusion (for me). I have two questions:

1) Is a mew something a kitten would say, whereas an adult cat would say meow? (I read that, somewhere.) If you have a strong opinion here, please state if you're referring to British English or American.

2) Is there a British/American English difference between meow and mew?

Again, just a reminder, it's the noun I'm asking about. Thanks a lot!

[Mamyalynne]

I would be perfectly happy with a kitten's mew.


http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/mew

[swedeheart]

Thank you mewing along in the middle of the night, Mamyalynne! When you say you would be perfectly happen with a kitten's mew, do you mean as opposed to that of an adult cat? And, are you speaking of British or American English?

I've found a lot of pages during my googling so I think what I'm asking about here is probably more your own opinions:)

[Mamyalynne]

I'm speaking from British perspective and to be honest without trawling through references I feel 'mew' is more suited to a kitten as being more simple a sound than a grown cat's 'Miaow'.

[swedeheart]

That makes a lot of sense, mew does sound more "childish". Thanks for now, I'll check for more replies tomorrow. G'night!

[Mamyalynne]

Night Swede.x

[swedeheart]

Aww Mamya. I signed back in to give you one in return: x!

[jno]

generally, I think "meow" is usually used as a transcription of what the cat, or kitten, actually says. "Mew" is the verb used to describe what it does - so a cat mews but it says "meow".

But the noun... "the cat's meow" is a common phrase, meaning much the same as "the cat's pyjamas" or "the cat's whiskers" - to mean "something great"

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=the+cat%27s+meow

But when it's used literally about a cat, I think meow or mew are probably equally used. To get round it, you could say "the cat's mewing" (that's using mewing as a noun, rather than short for "the cat is mewing").

"Miaow" is I think a slightly old-fashioned way of spelling meow. You could argue that because it has more vowels in it, it represents a slightly longer and louder noise than "meow" and so as mamyalynne says it would sound better used about a cat than a kitten.

Happy new year in the far north!

[swedeheart]

Hi jno and thanks - *you* da cat's pajamas! I understand your suggestion of using 'mewing' as a noun, but in this case it wouldn't work with the rhyming and meter to which I am bound. It's 'mew' or nothing, but of course I don't want to use it if it's incorrect.

I'm confused, you say that meow or mew are probably equally used. If so, why is there a need to get around it? (Or were you thinking of the transcription and the verb when you said that.)

Here is a dictionary that has two pronunciations, one in British English and one in American, for the noun as well as the verb: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mew

...but as we all know, even dictionaries can be wrong - or at least reflect a reality that people in general don't recognise. So that's why I'm asking some "real people" here:) A very Happy New Year to you too, jno!

[dannyk13]

You may find what you are looking for here:-
http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/mew-vs-meow.1328535/

[fiction-factory]

Mew is purrfectly okay. Even if it weren't you could claim poetic licence

[bhg481]

I find it rather amusing that you come on here asking for advice on English when all of your threads have been written with perfect grammar and spelling, not to mention the correct use of apostrophes, which few British people seem to master.
I think WE should look to YOU for advice.

Good luck with your project.

[swedeheart]

Thank you dannyk13. That question refers to the verb, but it does help in that "Chez" happens to say "like a cat's mew", so that's one vote for the correctness of 'mew' as a noun:)

[Robinia]

Sweedie! Hi :)
Mew's good for me...but I speak Nottingham, we have a language all of our own.
Happy Mew Year x

[swedeheart]

Thank you fiction-factory, and a Purrfect New Year to you! Poetic licence can be a good thing... or a coward's way out;) ~ Haha bhg481, there's just one small problem: it takes me an hour and a lot of googling to say what the rest of you say in a minute... but thanks! :D ~ Robiiiinia, hi!! I could always make it a Robin Hood sort of cat:) Happy Mew Year to too and may Ceiling Cat watch over your every step xxx

[Peter Pedant]

erm the hieroglyphic for 'cat' is miw'

[ I was locked up with the last person who could construe hierog;yphics without a reference book and that was er one of the things I learnt ]

[shoota]

Use it and damnation to the world - it's your poem.
Make up words if necessary....


(I'm in a piratical mood today.)

[Mamyalynne]

Hi again Swede, you seem to have got general agreement on this - good luck with your writings.


Peter, you locked up? Never !!

[Peter Pedant]

I think dogs bark and cats mew - pigs grunt etc

and one emits 'bow-wow' and cats do 'miaow' - pigs oink

These words are all onomatopoeic and it is worth a look at Saussure ( Cours general de la linguistique ) text on the net where the whole thesis is based on the lack of onomatopoeia ( the significant has no relation to the signifie in a sign )

[Peter Pedant]

yeah Mama LOCKED !

forty miles north of the Egypt / Sudan border - north of Abu SImbel

[shoota]

Was your accommodation padded Peter?