Miau
/miˈaʊ/noun
An archaic or variant English form of “meow,” representing the sound made by a cat.
Did you know?Unlike many words, “miau” is an onomatopoeia: its form was shaped directly by the sound humans heard cats making, with different languages creating their own versions.
Etymological Timeline
Prehistoric and cross-linguistic
Imitative
*miau
“A reconstructed or recurring imitation of a cat’s cry; not a securely inherited Proto-Indo-European root”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μιαῦ (miaû)
“An imitation of a cat’s mewing or cry”
Middle English
English
mew
“To make the characteristic cry of a cat; also the cry itself”
16th Century
English
miau
“An alternative written imitation of a cat’s cry, alongside forms such as “mew” and “miaow””
Modern English
English
miau
“A rare or archaic variant spelling of “meow””