The illustrator James Chapman made the amusing observation that in different languages noises, onomatopoeias, sounds or animal cries could be transcribed or represented in very different ways. This is how, for example, the German rooster replaces our very French cocorico by an astonishing kirikiki.
So James Chapman created a Tumblr in which he publishes drawings in which he compares these onomatopoeias from different countries. This blog, soberly entitled Pictures by James Chapman worth a visit… and here are some examples of what you can find there!
Article updated on March 31, 2025 by Byothe
