noun
first cry of a newborn baby
Refers specifically to the very first cry a baby makes right after birth. Often used metaphorically for the beginning or debut of something new.
赤ちゃんの産声が聞こえた瞬間、涙が出た。
The moment I heard the baby's first cry, tears came to my eyes.
このプロジェクトは、まさに会社の新事業の産声と言える。
This project can truly be called the first cry of the company's new business.
Compound of 産 (うぶ, 'birth') + 声 (こえ, 'voice'), with rendaku voicing こえ → ごえ. The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word has been used since at least the Edo period.