For many, our first memories of learning animal sounds include the song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” The song has been translated into at least 25 languages, and a curious finding reveals itself when we compare these translations: English cows go “moo” , while French cows go “meuh” , and Korean cows go “음메” . These differences raise the question: how can cultures hear the same physical sounds yet translate them into language so differently? Analyzing animal onomatopoeia across languages can demystify how we shape sound into meaning.