Cousins, not mother-daughter.Īnother possibility is that sooey is simply an onomatopoeic word without an etymology, like shoo, to ward off flies. But common descent from Greek's ancestor does not mean it goes back to Greek. the Oxford English Dictionary, suggest that the sooey might be a call based on English sow, which used to be pronounced like "soo." This word sow and the sw- in swine do appear to be related to Greek ὕς and Latin sus by a common inheritance from their ancestral language, Proto-Indo-European. Rather, the standard etymological resources, e.g. Just like any good tradition, there are lots of versions of the Hog Call (even spellings). Sure, some Greek words are borrowed into English, but usually they relate to the Christian religion (like church or bishop) or they involve a higher literary register. A chant of Wooo Pig Sooie is known worldwide as a Hog Call. So, one would have to suppose that illiterate pig farmers in England or American somehow managed to borrow a literary term for a non-literary purpose, and that's just not plausible at all. (Analogously in English, the term pig is a replacement of the older word swine.) The Greek term is a classical term and already by Koine times (when the Romans conquered Britain) it has become out of date with the common term for pig became χοῖρος as we see in the New Testament. Rosaire’s Royal Racers come in a variety of sizes and speeds. 26-28 Squealing spectators have several opportunities to watch live pig races during the riotous weekend event. In this case, I don't think borrowing is a viable hypothesis for the relationship between classical Greek ὕς, σύς (vocative singular ὗ, σῦ) and sooey. pig racing answers the call in marathon feb. One is by borrowing another is by common inheritance. Well, there are two basic ways words can be related between different languages. MGV Hoffman wrote:Does anyone have other evidence for the etymology of "soo-ee" or "hoo-ee" that might link it back to a proper vocative Greek word? Weatherford will defend its title with the 10th annual World Championship Hog Calling Contest in Means Park at 10 a.m. The English dictionaries I have been able to consult (cf: ) note that the English "sow" does derive from the Latin sus and the Greek sus and hus, and suggest it's just a 'deformed' way of calling out "sow."ĭoes anyone have other evidence for the etymology of "soo-ee" or "hoo-ee" that might link it back to a proper vocative Greek word? This town is the self-proclaimed and uncontested Hog Calling Capital of the World. That "ee" ending doesn't seem to fit as a 3rd declension vocative ending, but I'm trying to figure out a way that it does. This would match precisely with the two forms of the word in classical Greek. Then extend your right arm with the Sooie. My suspicion is strengthened in that (I do believe that this is correct) in England, one says "hooey." The Hog Call is one of the most recognizable chants in all of sports. I.e., how would you call a pig or pigs in Greek?īehind my question is the suspicion that "sooey" (however you spell it), the traditional American way of calling a pig, comes from the Greek.
Yes, somewhat of an odd question, but I'm trying to figure out what the vocative forms for pig are in Greek and how you would pronounce it.