An exclamation imitating the sound made by apes or monkeys, often used humorously or in literature.
Onomatopoeia first recorded in English in the early 20th century, imitating primate vocalizations. Popularized in literature and comics as a representation of ape or primitive human speech.
Terry Pratchett's Discworld librarian, who was transformed into an orangutan, communicates entirely in variations of 'Ook!' - yet somehow manages to be perfectly understood by other characters. This simple sound has become so associated with primates that it's used in everything from cartoon sound effects to computer programming (the 'Ook!' programming language exists and is surprisingly functional!).
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