Category: words

Tabby M mark

Origin of the word ‘meow’ – it’s onomatopoeic

The origin of the word “meow” is an onomatopoeic representation of the actual sound that domestic cats make, usually when requesting something such as food, albeit that it is a stereotypic representation because the...

Clowder of cats

Clowder – definition and origin

A clowder is a group of cats in the same place1 (see the picture above). I was prompted into researching the word by Shelley, who posted this article recently: I love ferals. The interesting...

Saying cheetah

How do the British pronounce ‘cheetah’?

I should know because I am British. The key in pronouncing cheetah properly is to make sure the second syllable is pronounced ‘tuh’ and not ‘ter’. The first syllable is clear: ‘chee’. My recording...

The domestic cat is a contradiction

How to say and use “Felis catus”

On this page I discuss how to say and use the phrase “Felis catus“. This is Latin. By convention, when Latin is written in sentences the first word is capitalised and the phrase is...

How to say and use the word 'feline'

How to say and use the word “feline”

This is how you say the word ‘feline’. I’ve also added some sentences including the word so you can see how it is used in a sentence. People rarely use the word ‘feline’. It...

How do Jaguars adapt to the rainforest?

How to pronounce ‘Panthera onca’

This is how you pronounce Panthera onca. It looks easy! But a major website which has the sole purpose of informing you how to pronounce words totally screws up 😕 . That site is:...

Chartreux

‘Your cat’ in French

In French you can say ‘your cat’ in one of two ways depending on whether you are familiar with the person with whom you are conversing. If you are friendly with the person or...

Margay resting in a tree, typical behavior

How do you pronounce ‘margay’?

Please click on the audio file below to hear how you pronounce ‘margay’. Just add an ‘s’ to make it plural! It is exactly as expected. It may surprise you as to why I...

Why PETA pronounce their acronym PETER

Why PETA pronounce their acronym ‘PETER’

Please listen to the audio file for my opinion as to why PETA pronounce their acronym ‘Peter’. Technically the way they say it is incorrect. But understandably they have forced an ‘incorrect’ pronounciation. See...


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