I mentioned こんこん to a native speaker, and he hadn't heard it before.
Is こんこん the standard onomatopoeia for foxes? If not, what does the fox say?
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Sign up to join this communityI mentioned こんこん to a native speaker, and he hadn't heard it before.
Is こんこん the standard onomatopoeia for foxes? If not, what does the fox say?
「こんこん」 is just about the only onomatopoeia for a fox's cry. It is difficult to believe what your native speaker friend(?) has told you. I honestly do not even know of an alternative onomatopoeia for that.
In fact, 「こんこん」 can even mean a "fox" itself just like 「わんわん」 can mean a "dog" when speaking to toddlers.
See what デジタル大辞泉{だいじせん} says.
[副]
1 せきをするときの声を表す語。
2 狐{きつね}の鳴{な}き声{ごえ}を表{あらわ}す語{ご}。
3 固い物が軽く打ち当たったときに発する音を表す語。「扉をこんこん(と)ノックする」
4 雪や雨などがさかんに降るさま。
[名]狐のこと。
My own TL of the above:
[Adverb]:
- Onomatopoeia for coughing
- Onomatopoeia for a fox's cry
- Knocking sound
- Onomatopoeia for heavy snow or rain
[Noun]: A fox.
Here is a famous children's song about foxes which is named none other than 「こぎつねこんこん」 and I still could not believe there is a native speaker who grew up not listening to or singing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOuoIQWlrHs
In children's stories as well, I could not remember another onomatopoeia used for a fox.