Quack in Greek?

[Kriton Kyrimis]

> I would like to know if the Greek members of the forum could tell me how 
> to say "Quack" in Greek.  Is it the same in Ancient Greek as well?

In Greek, ducks say "pa-pa-pa" (i.e., quack-quack-quack), from which the 
medieval/modern Greek word for duck, "papia", is derived. As for ancient 
Greek, the word for duck was "nissa", but I sincerely doubt whether this was 
because ancient Greek ducks used to say "ni", an utterance which is reserved 
exclusively for a specific kind of knight...

In Disney comics, the ducks' exclamation of "wack!" is transcribed as "ouak!".

> I know in Ancient Greek Aristophanes has "Koax"

Actually, "brekekex koax koax" 
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0031;query=card%3D%238;layout=;loc=185)
which may have been made up by Aristophanes, as it still sounds hilarious to 
my Greek ears, and the statistics at the above site would seem to indicate 
that both words only appear in Aristophanes' "Frogs".

> for frogs, and the 
> dictionaries also have a word for crows to caw, but nothing for "quack"!

Look at the etymology of "papia" e.g., in 
http://www.komvos.edu.gr/dictonlineplsql/simple_search.display_full_lemma?the_lemma_id=31989&target_dict=1
where "pa-pa-pa" is mentioned.

	Kriton.
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"`Pessimist' is a term invented by optimists to describe realists."
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