Related to the question about whether facial expressions are universal.

Are there words/verbal expressions/sounds that exist in every language and have the same meaning in every language?

(I’d also count words that are very similar.)

One example, that I believe is universal is M followed by a vowel followed by another M and optionally another vowel, meaning “Mother”.

At least in any language I know, this seems to hold true (mom, Mama, mamma, Mami, …).

Any other examples?

Edit: To clarify, I am not looking for very popular words that have been imported into most languages (like how almost everyone worldwide knows what Ketchup is), but about words that are “native” to humans. So if you pick someone from an uncontacted native tribe and tell them nothing, they would be able to understand/use that word/sound/verbal expression.

  • Kraiden@lemmy.nz
    2·
    2 years ago

    I’m far from any kind of authority on this, but I think you’ll find the similarities in language (like ma mama mom mum mother mummy) come from the fact that very many languages today stem from the same root languages.

    What I find far more interesting is where they diverge.

    Ananas Anana Aнана́с Ananass Nanas Mananasi

    … In English?

    Pineapple…

    Wtf!

    Edit: I’ve just remembered reading that “mama” and “papa” come from the sounds that babies make naturally…

    https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/why-does-mother-sound-the-same-in-so-many-languages

    • Square Singer@feddit.deOP
      1·
      2 years ago

      To add to the Anannas thing: Here in Austria old people use the word Anannas for strawberries. Because there was a version of strawberries that were called “Ananas Erdbeere” (so pineapple strawberry) before there where pineapples available in Austria. So they linked the word Anannas with strawberries.

      Redarding mama/papa, that’s what I figured. Mama is one of the first sounds a baby can reliably make, so it’s super similar in most languages, while papa/dada is the second sound they make, and thus it differs more.

    • jalda@kbin.social
      1·
      2 years ago

      “Ananas” and similar words all have a common origin in the word “Nanas” in old Tupi, a language that was spoken in the south of Brazil. It isn’t really an universal word, it’s a similar case to Ketchup.

      Also, English is not alone. For example, the Spanish word is “piña”, which is also the same word for pinecone.