What is “kupo”? Considering it’s not a swear word, it’s just a nonsense word Moogles say, like “smurf”. Only while smurf is a versatile word (noun, verb, adjective, interjection, etc.), kupo is almost always an interjection. The word is like a pokemon repeating their name. Or like a cat saying “meow” or “nyan” at the end of their sentence. In fact, Moogles used to say “nya”, the Japanese onomatopeia for a cat’s sound. Think “meow”.
But what does it mean?
I know it doesn’t mean anything, but in Japanese it would mean something. It combines two of the 46 katakana syllabograms, “ku” (ク) and “po” (ポ). This is what “kupo” looks like in Japanse : ク ポ. But “po” has been replaced by “ho” (someone please correct me if I’m wrong).
So then why do they say it?
In earlier games, moogles spoke only with their trademark cry “kupo” and variations of such. In later games, moogles can speak the human language, but often punctuate their sentences with “kupo” as a verbal tic. In some Japanese versions, they use the pronoun mogu in place of the word “I,” as a young girl would use atashi and a young boy boku.
It is added at the end of many of the sentences spoken by moogle characters throughout the series, usually as means of emphasizing said sentences. Some games briefly mention a moogle language formed out of various permutations of “kupo”. This could explain why “kupo” can be added to the end of spoken (and some written) sentences, despite the tone and actual context.
It has no meaning, like life itself. Kupo is life.
Consider that they may have been domesticated at one point. Domesticated cats mimic human baby sounds, in order to steal attention away from the latter. Babies make “coo”ing sounds, which I imagine sound like “Ku”. The “po” would be another baby sound, to make them more attractive to humans. But somewhere down the line, they returned to the forest, yet retained their speech.
Or, it is just a swear word and Moogles are very rude. Didn’t you know, kupo?
The word “kuho” means “horse gait” in Japanese.