COWS ARE COOL: LOVE ‘EM!
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Cows Moo With A Regional Accent Recently language specialists have suggested that cows have regional accents like humans. They decided to examine the issue after dairy farmers noticed their cows had slightly different moos, depending on which herd they came from. Cows have one word in their vocabulary and it’s a single syllable at that. John Wells, Professor of Phonetics at the University of London is heading the research efforts. The farmers in Somerset who noticed the phenomenon say that it may have been the result of the close bond between them and their animals. Farmer Lloyd Green, from Glastonbury, says: “I spend a lot of time with my cows and they definitely moo with a Somerset drawl. Researchers spoke to the other farmers in the West Country group and they noticed a similar development in their own herds. It all depends on the cow and farmer relationship. The closer a farmer’s bond is with his cows, the easier it is for them to pick up his accent. |
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Peer Pressure
Prof Wells also feels that the accents could result from their contemporaries, “In small populations such as herds you would encounter identifiable dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group.”
Dr Jeanine Treffers-Daller, reader in linguistics at the University of the West of England in Bristol, agreed that the accent could be influenced by relatives.
Cows are great!
I love cows, they are nice to work with, they are just like humans, just not as cruel. I was once told that cows are four hoof drive, all terrain forage harvesting machines. Nothing is more enjoyable or relaxing then watching cows on a pasture.
~Rob Adams, Cape Town
She says “When we are learning to speak, we adopt a local variety of language spoken by our parents, so the same could be said about the variation in cow moo.”
The herds in the West Country are mooing in their distinct Somerset twang. Some listeners describe this sound as “moo-arr” rather than moo. Likewise in US, the cows may be having a yankeeish sounding moo.
In this British study, Brummie accents have been noticed in the Midlands, while Geordie tones abound in Tyne and Wear and there are overtones of Estuary English around the South East.
Cows are not only picking up their owners’ accents and but are even passing them on to their calves. The regional twangs were first noticed by members of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers group.
This Cheesemakers group is a very peculiar group. Their cheese is world famous for its unique flavour. These group members have a funny practice of spending hours with their herds, wearing cow coats and playing them classical music. The practice is supposed to contribute towards the local cheddar’s distinctive flavour.
Academic Approval
The claims have received widespread academic approval.
‘In small populations such as herds you would encounter dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group.’
The National Farmers’ Union, UK, also backed the claims.
Livestock expert Tom Hind says: ‘Cows will be used to hearing farmers shouting to bring them in with particular accents, depending on which part of the country they live in.
The herds in the West Country are mooing in their distinct Somerset twang. Some listeners describe this sound as “moo-arr” rather than moo. Likewise in US, the cows may be having a yankeeish sounding moo.
In this British study, Brummie accents have been noticed in the Midlands, while Geordie tones abound in Tyne and Wear and there are overtones of Estuary English around the South East.
Cows are not only picking up their owners’ accents and but are even passing them on to their calves. The regional twangs were first noticed by members of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers group.
This Cheesemakers group is a very peculiar group. Their cheese is world famous for its unique flavour. These group members have a funny practice of spending hours with their herds, wearing cow coats and playing them classical music. The practice is supposed to contribute towards the local cheddar’s distinctive flavour.
Academic Approval
The claims have received widespread academic approval.
‘In small populations such as herds you would encounter dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group.’
The National Farmers’ Union, UK, also backed the claims.
Livestock expert Tom Hind says: ‘Cows will be used to hearing farmers shouting to bring them in with particular accents, depending on which part of the country they live in.
I love this. We have a lot of cattle farmers around this area of Mississippi. There are so many cute calves around. I pull over the car to look at them. They are so curious about the World around them. Cute!
~Michael Allen, Mississippi
‘You could transport cows from one area of the country with a strong accent, such as Wales, to another and there could be a problem initially with them not responding to the new accent.’
Dr Margaret Rebbeck, a lecturer in material science at the University of Bradford, who made hundreds of recordings for the survey, says: ‘They learn from each other and from their parents - certain phrases get passed on.’
Dr Margaret Rebbeck, a lecturer in material science at the University of Bradford, who made hundreds of recordings for the survey, says: ‘They learn from each other and from their parents - certain phrases get passed on.’
I’m a Cow Nut
In New Zealand, we are calving down our herd of 320 cows...what a wonderful time of year..here we go again ...rearing the babies..milking the mums..fantastic life...even when it’s wet...COWS...MY LIFE....
~Jen Vaughan, NZ
Roses are Red
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
if I’m a simple cow,
whats that to you?
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
if I’m a simple cow,
whats that to you?