Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Aiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
First a note from me: Growing up in San Francisco, I lived in a community with many Chinese people, so one phrase that always stuck with me was the Cantonese phrase "Aiya". I kind of knew what it meant, and some of my friends tried to explain it to me, but this posting on an obscure website was the best explanation I could find, for such a really cool word!================================================================
AiYa!!!!! (An Explanation of "Aiya" Cantonese phrase)
Original author: Flamsterette_X
I originally used "aiya!" in the thread about Kyomara 's banning. If he/she reads this, welcome back, by the way; even though I don't know you! (I was going to post that in the other thread, but it was closed by the time I got to it)
Since I thought people might not understand it, here's an explanation.
An interesting look at a phrase that is completely second nature to me.
Enjoy!
Ai-Ya! -- A must-read for all Chinese people
I had a craving for a sweet taste of childhood the other day, so I went shopping for some moy. I was putting said treat into my cart and looking for my Ranch 99 VIP card, when a woman with three kids in two ran into my cart. At that moment, both of us said, "Aiya." The children giggled, she apologized, and I quickly replied. "M'sai... No apology needed." Although it was a minor exchange, I later realized that Aiya is more than just two characters; it is part of the spirit of being Chinese...in a moment of surprise, I could have said just about anything -- my reaction was to say Aiya. I was surprised that I would instinctively use my mother's tongue because I've always known that I don't speak Cantonese well. No matter how far removed I've become as an American, there is something at my core that is Chinese.
I decided to conduct informal research about Aiya. First, I went to a national bookstore chain to review its Chinese language materials. I thumbed through all the Chinese language materials, but couldn't find any vocabulary drill including Aiya. Seeing that the publishers of tourist books were not going to be helpful, I decided to observe its use in the community. I clipped my cell phone to my belt, grabbed a couple of pink bakery boxes and sat around San Francisco's Portsmouth Square drinking 7-Up and eating dim sum. Lo and behold, I heard Aiya used in a variety of ways. Based on my personal experience and this observation, I've developed a personal understanding of Aiya.
Aiya is 24-carat Chinese gold. Aiya is more than just two characters; it is part of the spirit of being Chinese and may even go back to antiquity. It is used wherever the Chinese have been in the diaspora of the last sesquicentennial.
How you say Aiya can say volumes about your state of mind. For example, when the problem is minor, I can say "Aiya" in a short/curt manner. However, when I am extremely stressed, I can draw it out to nearly five seconds. I'm planning an experiment where I get a room full of people to meditate using it as a mantra. With practice, I might get them to draw out Aiya even longer.
To explain more deeply how to use Aiya, imagine a worker slaving on the Great Wall when he accidentally drops a brick (a quickie Aiya)... on the work foreman ("Aiya!!"
... which gets him thrown into the wall to perish an agonizing death ("AIYA!!!!!" .
As you read the following ways Aiya can be used, the mental image to solicit is to picture any of the mothers from Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. For those who have met anyone in my family, you can picture one of my relatives instead:
Surprise: "Aiya! A surprise party for me?"
Joy: "Aiya! You got 5 out of 6 in Lotto!"
Distaste: "You expect me to drink that herbal medical concoction of yours? Aiya!"
Doubt: "Do I have to wear that lemon yellow/lime green sweater my mother made? I wonder if she would notice if I 'accidentally' donated it to Goodwill? Aiya."
Awe: "Your son got accepted into Harvard Law School?! Aiya!"
Irritation: "Clean your room. Aiya! Why do you live like a pig?"
Great astonishment: "Aiya! She switched majors from Business to Art History!"
Disapproval: "Report Card -- 5 As, 1 B? Always a B in Math. Aiya." Actual quote from my mother when I was a sophomore in high school.
Shock: "What? Ketchup on Yang Chow Fried Rice...Aiya!"
Lamentation: "Aiya...why me...ungrateful child...Aiya." Probably what my mother is thinking when she reads this.
Outrage: "Never clean your rice cooker with that steel scouring pad! Aiya!"
Verge of internal combustion: "I can't deal with the family asking when and if I'm getting married! Ai-yaaaaaaaa!"
Aiya is an all-purpose phrase that comes from deep in the soul. Aiya is both simple and complex: on one hand, it is a couple of Chinese characters; on the other hand, it can be a whole speech describing the state you are in. Aiya says "I'm afraid," "I'm in pain," "I don't believe it." It is an exclamation of exuberance, a shout of hurt, a cry of fear, and the reflex of being startled, and the embrace of joy.
It is unfortunate that English has no equivalent to Aiya. It saddens me that American English doesn't afford me a fun phrase to emote. "Shucks," "Darn," and the plethora of swear words cannot convey what Aiya can. So, I'm going to propose that we start an initiative. American English should grab on Aiya or the Yiddish "Oy" for our use.
So the next time you go to a teahouse for dim sum or decide to go shopping at an Asian market, listen to the lively banter as friends and families meet. It's a wonderfully vibrant, alive community out there. Who knows, you just might get caught up in the lyrical rhythm of the people. Aiya, what fun!
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-104590.html
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
This poster is pretty funny. I wish I could enlarge it.
I am from the upper midwest - Minnesota to be precise - and there are a lot of northern Europeans in MN - lots of Germans, Norwegians, Finns, Swedes and Danes. A common expression for frustration, "I've had enough" or other irritants during everyday life is "uffda." (pronounced oofda)
One of my best friends in law school was a Jewish guy from Long Island. One day, in a fit of pique about an overscheduled day, I said "Uffda, I will never get this all done." His response was "What is this 'uffda' anyway?" I said "it's Scandihoovian/German for 'oy vey.'" (I have been known to use a LOT of Yiddish words/slang in my everyday speech despite not being Jewish - it's so wonderfully evocative. E.g., "What a yutz!" just sounds more satisfying than "whatta goof." "OK, I gotcha..." he said, nodding and smiling.
Thanks for that. 
