In many Asian cultures, every year is represented by an animal from a cycle of 12 beasts, which change at each Lunar New Year. This year's Lunar New Year rings in the Year of the Pig.
Those annual animals (being the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig) are believed by many to determine and influence one’s character and thus have a lot do to with fortune-telling.
Each of the animals has its own characteristics that translate into human behavior if one is born in the year of a particular animal. While some Asian cultures associate this animal with mud others perceive it as a symbol of luck, intelligence and wealth.
But, how do the world's languages interpret the sound of a pig?
Animal noises vary all over the world, and the sound of a pig is no different. An 'oink' in English might sound like a 'grok' in Serbian, or 'buhi buhi' in Japanese. SBS Russian delves deep into the world of pig noises.
