Category: Portrait of a Word

Hadeel Abuhamda

April 29, 2019

English 1101

 

 

In the Muslim community, if you would like to know if someone is lying or telling the truth, all you have to do is ask them to say “wallah”. Wallah is an Arabic word and expression which is used to make a promise by god. It holds such great credibility in the Islamic religion. Whether you speak Arabic or not, if you are in an Arabic household, the word wallah will come up quite a bit in just one day or even one sentence. Arabic speakers most commonly use this phrase to swear by something. Arabic speaking Muslims consider it as the most divine way to confirm something without the need of actual proof. Despite this, Arab Muslims use it quite often, even if the matter is true or not. Non-Muslim Arabs also use it often, even though they lack the belief in Allah (god). Every Arab knows that feeling when a Muslim says “Wallah” after every sentence and the more they say “Wallah” the more you DONT trust them. Depending on the Arabic dialect you use in your daily life, it is also pronounced “wallahee”, but for the sake of this essay, I will be using “wallah”.

Despite it being considered disrespectful to use the word “wallah” and not be truthful, it is used quite a lot. This is where religion and culture come into play. In the Islamic religion the word “wallah” has such a strong powerful meaning behind it. Misuse of this expression will be considered profane. It is as if you are lying in the name of god. Religiously, this word is only used when it absolutely has to be used, to let the other person know that you are telling the truth and not lying. It is a way to make a point of yours, valid. It is a sin to use the phrase and follow it up with a lie. Sometimes this word can be intensified by using it on yourself or even someone you love. For example, “wallah on my soul” or “wallah on my mother’s life.” When using it on yourself or someone you love it makes the word have more meaning and the person you are saying it to is more likely to believe you. Religiously, saying wallah and lying means that you have to fast 3 days in a row. (fasting: you cannot eat from sunrise to sunset.)

Now, using the word culturally is a different story. The word “wallah” will be in almost every single sentence when speaking to another Arabic speaker. Even non-Arabic speakers use this word. Like, my former basketball team, my coaches, even my high school teachers. Sometimes it could be used in the beginning of a sentence to start it off and also at the end of a sentence to end it. Such as, “Wallah this movie sucks” or “oh my god Wallah you’re annoying” or my favorite, “Wallah shut up.” It can also be used in different ways depending on the tone you say it in. People nowadays can use wallah and mean, “I promise.” or “are you serious!?”  And of course, “I swear to god”. It’s more like a cultural term rather than religious now a days. It’s crazy how much times this word will pop up in a conversation between friends or family… more times than you’ll be able to count. And this word can be used in any part of a sentence, for example you can say: “Wallah you won’t believe what happened to me, wallah even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it wallah!”

When I was younger I took the word “wallah” seriously. Don’t get me wrong I still do but overtime I guess one could say that it lost its meaning a little. I would pronounce it as “vallah” and that’s how you knew that I was lying. But I would say it in a low and fast tone so the person I am speaking to doesn’t catch on. I literally use the word “wallah” in mostly every single sentence I say, wallah. My brother would always tell me that every time I say wallah to him he doesn’t trust me because I am always saying it. So, I guess I have to intensify it and add my mother’s life next time. Maybe he’ll believe me then. I even got my best friend using the word now. Sometimes I think she takes It more seriously than I should.

Mia Carter

English 1101

Professor Carrie Hall

 

   The mutt

 

      Not to long ago me and my best friend went to the ice skating rink. And while there we met some boys that are around the same age as us. As we all try to skate we started talking and asking each other where we’re from what school we go to. When we get to the topic about nationality i always know someone is going to have a weird reaction and but my answer. When it comes to be my turn answering the question I kept thinking to myself like how are they going to react and how I’m going to react to their reactions. When answering the question all the different words came to mind of what they could call me. As I stand there to hear the surprising comments from them i watch as everyone made a different face. And everyone’s face was of surprise,  asking me “ Are you sure you’re black?, why are you so white?” Growing up, it wasn’t uncommon for people to assume I’m was white or hispanic. Or the case be that i’m actually mixed. Being mixed is a bad thing it’s just people’s reactions to when you tell them what you really are. But, in my family we are all mutts. We’re all mixed a family of mutts.

 

       Coming form a family where everyone is mixed isn’t something surprising to me. There was always something new and different to try from each and every part of the family that is different. Growing up in a neighborhood were people were mostly black, hispanic and asian you always get you’re just white or hispanic. Telling people i’m not hispanic was always a surprise to them, “ like really you’re not hispanic? Like not at all not even part?” my answer is always no. I have to explain that i’m mixed that i’m half polish and half african american. People’s second reaction is always “ you’re WHAT? You’re black, you don’t look black? Wow you really are a damn mutt.” Hearing the word mutt always has a different effect on me based on the person that says it and how they say it.  In my family we call each other mutts that’s because we know it doesn’t hurt when saying to each other and we aren’t saying it as a bad thing. But when some people say it, the word always comes off different. You feel like they’re talking bad about you like wow you aren’t pure. Like have you ever felt different from others or bad because you wasn’t the same as your friends. One thing that is big is what side do you take. Like for me it’s like i’m i going to choose my polish side more then my african american side when it comes to things or i’m i going to be a “mutt” and be my own self.

 

        The word mutt is used in many ways. Being derogatory word used to call a racehorse slow in poor condition, to call a dog that is mixed bread, a person who is awkward and ignorant, an unattractive woman. But the word is also used in a derogatory word against people of mixed race. The world’s history lies as another insult. It comes from the word “muttonhead,” another American word that also means”fool.” “Muttonhead” had been around since the early 19th century. At the same time was anti- miscegenation. The time when law criminalized both marriage and sexual relationships between people of white decent and black decent. These two things are hard on the mixed community. Being called a mutt is like being call dirty. And not being able to marry who you truly love because you’re different and that if you have children with this person your kids are dirty because they are mutts.

  Mutt is a word that’s is used that much by people my age. But you still hear it being used around. Have you ever been called a mutt? I have I also been called Oreo,polablack because I’m half polish and half black, mixed baby and some other things. All these names have the same thing in common someone being multiracial. However some of these names make us feel unwanted, uncomfortable and just confused about who we are and want to be. You think like by being multiracial will I get this job are they going to like me for me or are they going to judge by what they see or what on paper. Being multiracial isn’t a bad thing but people do make us feel bad about who we are. We just want to fit in like early one else and not have to pick one side over the other. We just want to be judge by who we are as a person not by the looks and nationality.

 

During the years of 2009 – 2012, if you were a person who watched a lot of tv and was a fan of reality tv and was fond of MTV then you probably at least once came to hear of a show called “Jersey Shore”. The show had brought viewers a different look on the face of reality tv. Even though the show wasn’t popular at first it would come to take the world by storm. The premise of the show being 7 random people coming to be roomates in a rented shore house where they would drink, party, tan, and have a grand old time for the price of working at a shore store. This would go on for every summer from 2009 up until 2012 and each season bringing something new to the table, whether it be a new place like italy or miami, to all new cast members and new drama. Although hearing mention of the show around the time it came out to the public, I wasn’t really into the genre of reality tv and all the drama considering I was only nine years old. However, I came around to watching all 6 season of the show 6 years later from the time it stopped airing. What I had found to get to that point however was literally me watching a few episodes of the sequel to the franchise, dubbed “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.”

The reason I bring this up is because, those said 7 roommates were not picked as randomly as it may have seemed. If they had something in common it was the fact that they were all italian or of italian descent. First off, we should ask ourselves as to why this is important, or at least in my case. For one, there goes a term for describing the types of personalities and conflicting characters that each of the cast members possess. The term of course being “guido” or “guidette”. The funny thing about this word is that I had only come to hear it during my watching of the show. They would use the term to describe themselves almost as if in a nutshell, but one question that remained for me were of the origins of the word.

Considering I had previously known nothing about the word, the only thing that was left for me to do was to perform some research on the word. I had come to learn that it was a term used mainly for people of italian descent. Through the show I had come to learn that these “guidos” are known for their 3 step daily routines; Gym, Tanning and Laundry. This was apparent due to it being the only 3 main things that all the guys in the show would do other than clubbing. Upon doing research on the word, I found no articles relating to the word when searching for databases on the word. When searching on websites on the internet I found varying details like the origin of the word being from Saturday Night Live television comic Guido Calabresi’s name or how it originated in Italy. However, these websites of course weren’t exactly reliable considering they home to blog posts or they were wikipedias. So no concrete answers for the origin of the word. The word obviously has made itself a name in the Italian community is something I can say though. Although I am not of Italian or of Italian descent, I can definitely see myself living by some of the habits that one partakes in being a guido. One of those being 2 of the tasks that the guidos of Jersey shore live by. Gym and laundry, although laundry seeming to be one of those things that are really supposed to come naturally. Of course I can’t talk about guido like routines without really discussing upon what a guido is.

So obviously now it’s time for us to discuss what exactly a guido is. A guido or as urban dictionary would put it, is a “A sad pathetic excuse for a male; not necessarily of Italian descent, but most likely; usually native to the New York/New Jersey Tri-State Area”. Other notable qualities of a guido is a guy who spends more time on his hair than his girlfriend, goes out clubbing, or spends a lot of time in the gym. It all basically comes down to someone who overly conducts themselves in a macho manner. That to me was a mild form of the word, for I thought of it as being a douchebag, in which I was somewhat wrong. The treatment people get from these “guidos” can vary whether we’re talking about in the case of relationships or even in friendships. Altogether I was wrong in thinking that however for being a guido isn’t really in the treatment of a person but rather the way you conduct yourself. Something funny that came with learning the term was that I never acknowledged guidos as being their own category when I filter people, but now that I know what they are and what they look like I can pinpoint a guido when I see one. One thing I was able to see was a guidette, but I never knew there was a term for it too.

To summarize, I stumbled upon a show called Jersey Shore in which 7 roomates would bring so much drama and entertainment, overall taking MTV and bringing a new name to reality TV. This would go on for the summers of 2009 – 2012 and viewers would grow to know and love cast members Pauly Delvecchio or “Pauly D”, Deena Cortese, Nicole Polizzi or “Snooki”, Jenni Farley or “JWoww”, Mike Sorrentino or “The Situation”, Ronnie Ortiz Magro, Vinny Guadanino, Samantha Giancola or “Sammi Sweetheart”, and finally, the most despised Angelina Pivarnick. It would be because of this said show that I would come to also stumble upon the term. It can also be noted that due to the popularity and success of this show, other branches like Geordie Shore, Floribama Shore, and Acapulco Shore that take place in other places in the world have also appeared as an option on the screens of reality tv viewers. So until watching the show, I had known nothing previously about the term having never heard it in the first place. After doing my research I would come to learn about a lot of things surrounding the word, however, nothing concrete considering the information was found on websites that were nothing short of being unreliable. All in all though one thing that I know that was concrete was the love for reality tv that I was left with after completing all 6 seasons of the show. For it provided me with all of the drama and relatability that I so craved.

Saalik Jackson

 

    “Nani!?” A Japanese word most commonly used in the English subtitled version of Anime. Anime I’m English dubbed is without a doubt much more comfortable to watch. However, those who do watch the English dubbed version of anime miss out on certain words like Nani. This word when translated to English means “what?”. The actors deliver this phrase with great bafflement in their voices.This word is very popular on the internet amongst anime watchers. In Japan it may just be a common phrase, however, it has become ubiquitous in the United States. There are many memes on the internet that use this word. Nani, a one word phrase, is common knowledge to all anime watchers in both the United States and Japan.

The word is so used that there is no way that a consistent viewer would not know of the word. Regardless of knowing or not knowing it’s meaning, any anime watcher has at least heard of the word. The word made it’s way from Japanese language in to the

    This word is very popular in the Japanese audio of anime. Anime are animated tv shows that are started in Japan and spread to the rest of the world. Anime has gained a lot of popularity in Japan as well as in the United States.Characters often use the word nani when they are shocked about something that another character did. For example, when a character is hit by a surprise attack he or she might respond with “Nani!?”.  The one word phrase is a remark that is almost equivalent to the saying “excuse me?” Or “I beg your pardon” in a confused tone. A lot of times a character might say Nani because they got hit with an overwhelming attack of mental distraught.

     The word Nani alone is very common in English subbed anime so it’s no surprise that viewers in the United States would know of the word. In addition to how common it is, the word’s popularity in the United States can also be credited to the memes on social media. Kenshiro, a Japanese character from Tetsou Hara’s 1980’s series titled  Fist of the North Star, is the reason why there are so many memes with this word. There is a clip from the series that displays kenshiro attacking people. After kenshiro finishes his brutal assault he then calmly says his signature phrase “Omae wa mou shindeiru”. When translated to English this phrase means “ you’re already dead”. Once kenshiro says this, his enemies would then say “Nani” in a confused tone. After the character screams the word then they collapse and die, just as kenshiro proclaimed. These clips exploded over the internet and get millions of views from people around the world. Not only were people in the United States introduced to the word Nani, but they also are introduced to the other series I had previously mentioned,” first of the North Star”.

     The internet introduces Americans to a lot of things. One of these many things is Japanese culture. The use of social media such as Facebook and Instagram have made it easier to find out certain things. The platforms prove to be very informative. Social media provides information that both does and does not  pertain to you. What makes social media significant is that once something takes off and becomes viral, it’s hard for a person to avoid it. This is the case with the word Nani and the kenshiro meme. It was everywhere on Facebook and Instagram that you could not possibly avoid it. There was no kind of way that an avid user of social media had not seen or heard of the word Nani at least once.  By way of social media, the word Nani had became significantly known in the United States amongst many social media users.

      People who adamantly use Facebook and other forms of social media learn a lot of things. Nani is just one of the words that people may have learned due to the internet. Not only does it hold vast knowledge, but social media can also be an influencer. Depending on how often you might see certain words like Nani, you might tend to use the word in your vernacular. Someone who has often seen or heard this word might introduce it to a friend. Then the cycle continues and the word starts to spread. This is a perfect example of how words and phrases catch on amongst a group a people. For example, the New York phrase “Deadass” had to come from somewhere.  Someone had to hear it and then start using it and in result, made it spread. People don’t often realize it but they make things catch on and go viral just by conversing. Whether it be for 2 days or just 2 minutes, that duration of time speaking about a subject can contribute to it spreading and increasing in its popularity. This is exactly what social media does for different subjects. No matter what the subject is, any thing in the world has the potential to become viral and spread amongst people on the internet.

        The word Nani is most often used in a confused tone regardless of the situation. Whether during a fight or a regular conversation, Nani is typically exclaimed enthusiastically. Usually it is said more enthusiastic than the many other words in the Japanese language. Some words are usually said more calmly and more reserved than Nani. For example, the Japanese  word gomennsai. This word means to apologize in a very polite way. This word is almost the equivalent of apologizing after bumping into a stranger on the subway. The word Nani has become so significant to some anime viewers because this word stands out more than many others.

     Sometimes, but not always, things will become overwhelmingly popular. Things will sometimes get so popular and spread to a lot of media and entertainment. Things get so popular in one place that it inevitably spreads to somewhere else. Television shows at times may reference something that has gotten popular. Some cartoons reference memes that have went viral on the internet. This also happens with songs as well. Unfortunately, to my knowledge Nani has not been a word featured in any media in the United States other than the internet. Nani is a word that a lot of people know but some do not. Only people who often use social media or watch anime would only recognize this word.

       The summarize, things from other countries often influence things in the United States. Anime has become very popular in the United States despite being something that started in Japan. The word Nani has become very known by many people that live in the United States. This includes both people who watch anime and people who don’t partake in it. The word was able to spread from Japan to the United States through the use of the internet, more specifically social media.

       

Hadeel Abuhamda

March 10, 2019

English 1101

 

In the Muslim community, if you would like to know if someone is lying or telling the truth, all you have to do is ask them to say “wallah”. Wallah is an Arabic word and expression which is used to make a promise by god. It holds such great credibility in the Islamic religion. Whether you speak Arabic or not, if you are in an Arabic household, the word wallah will come up quite a bit in just one day. Arabic speakers most commonly use this phrase to swear by something. Arabic speaking Muslims consider it as the most divine way to confirm something without the need of actual proof. Despite this, Arab Muslims use it quite often, even if the matter is true or not. Non-Muslim Arabs also use it often, even though they lack the belief in Allah. Every Arab knows that feeling when a Muslim says “Wallah” after every sentence and the more they say “Wallah” the more you DONT trust them? Depending on the Arabic dialect you use in your daily life, it is also pronounced “wallahee”, but for the sake of this essay, I will be using “wallah”.

Despite it being considered disrespectful to use the word “wallah” and not be truthful, it is used quite a lot. This is where religion and culture come into play. In the Islamic religion the word “wallah” has such a strong powerful meaning behind it. Misuse of this expression will be considered profane. It is as if you are lying in the name of god. Religiously, this word is only used when it absolutely has to be used, to let the other person know that you are telling the truth. It is a way to make a point of yours, valid. It is a sin to use the phase and follow it up with a lie. Sometimes this word can be intensified by using it on yourself. For example, “wallah on my soul”.

Now, using the word culturally is a different story. The word “wallah” will be in almost every single sentence when speaking to another Arabic speaker. Even non-Arabic speakers use this word. Sometimes it could be used in the beginning of a sentence to start it off and also at the end of a sentence to end it. It can also be used in different ways depending on the tone you say it in. People nowadays can use wallah and mean, “I promise.” or “are you serious!?”  And of course, “I swear to god”.

When I was younger I took the word “wallah” seriously. Don’t get me wrong I still do but overtime I guess one could say that it lost its meaning a little.

When I was little, around 3rd grade, I was taught about curse words by my teacher scolding me for yelling “chopped up monkey dicks” after a student dared me. I didn’t know what I said was bad, it just felt nice to say, and as a kid i wasn’t worried about the meaning of a word, only the feeling it gave me when I said it. So I continued to said it, loudly, repetitively, and in all the wrong time and places. Fast forward to last year, a friend of mine Katherine and I are leaving Comic-Con, exhausted and reminiscing over the fun experience. On our way out, a crowd was formed, blocking our only way out. Screams and chants of “God hates fags” “Faggots go to hell” and “A faggot is a sinner” was all we heard from the small group blocking the way, surrounded by police officers probably there to stop anything from getting physical. As we were slowly moving through the crowd, the chants got louder, the preachings were closer, and we can see more and more signs bearing that same disgusting word. I’m already exhausted and trying to keep my focus off the preaching and cursing, while Katherine was just about ready to fight the next asshole to call us a bunch of faggots one more fucking time, and I would have been completely behind it in any other case, but we both know it wouldn’t do any good to shut them up. It was definitely a shit stain on our experience, and was a hard reminder of how much hatefulness and disgust a single word can carry.
It’s not clear where the rodent term really came from directly, befor it became the slur used today it was commonly used for a bundle of sticks tied together for fuel. The word was then used as a slur for older women, used as a shorten from “faggot-gatherer” since older women would often make a living from gathering and selling wood. Its first apparent use as a gay slur was apparently in England, private school boys would call each others fags, which in ment doing a favor for an older classmate, in most cases sexual. Regardless of the origins of the actual word, the history of the word is where the real issue stems from. From offensive picket signs around pride rallies, to random casual conversations about a coworker’s friend, to the butt of an untasteful joke, the word has had a conflicting but overall negative connotation to it. From a term to describe a very ‘feminine’ guy, it’s become more of a blanket term for homosexuality and different gender identities in general; similar to the word gay. However, unlike the word gay, it’s more commonly used as a derogatory term rather than a general description. Coming out in any way like gay to a close friend is suppose to be a great experience, but being called a faggot by the same friend can leave a harsher and more painful taste.
Similar words like ‘bitch’ and ‘nigga’ had been shaped through pop culture and communities normalizing the word to be more ‘positive’ from its original meaning. However, it’s hard to say whether faggot has had its edges completely shaved the same way. In schools, kids would call each other fags as a joke for not being manly enough, or just a bit too close to another guy. Go to a pride rally, or some cosplay convention like comic con and you’ll definitely find a similar small group of westboro baptist church members holding up picket signs that read “god hates fags” and “faggots go to hell” while screaming and cursing the words at random passersby like it’ll change a fucking thing. It’s been used to justify events such as stonewall, the arresting and killing of members of the LGBT+ in other countries, the murder of Mark Carson in Greenwich Village, and the attack on an Orlando nightclub. A quick google search can give you thousands of results for small but just as deadly attacks on innocent and unfortunate people. “The fags had it coming” or “wouldn’t have been so bad if they weren’t a bunch of faggots” littering online news article comments and posts about a recent murder, ridiculing or beating of another member of the LGBT+, using the word as a label for subhuman people whose lives are of less important than another based on their orientation.
There’s always the occasional party loving gay guy walking around pride with a sign that say “just a faggot with a tambourine” starting a crowd of people singing “Toxic” by Britney Spears while playing his heart out on that little tambourine. But besides those few and gone cases, there’s not enough “faggot with a tambourine” in the world to outweigh the years of abuse and innocent deaths tied to the word. Maybe when times are different and people aren’t kicked out of their houses or verbally lashed at for liking who they love, would it be easier to shape the word to fit with a more fitting time. In the meantime though, it’s best to use the word in small and considerate means. Pride might not be the same without “faggot with a tambourine” guy, but it might just be for the best that he gets a change.

Kristopher Baptiste

English 1101

Professor Carrie Hall

“The origins of the slang word valid”

The word valid means having a sound basis in logic or fact; reasonable or but it also has different meanings. In today society the word valid is being used as a slang and have many different meaning and is being used in many different ways. The slang originated in Brooklyn and had spread across the state at a fast rate. The word had spread so fast because people started using the word around there friends or saying it around random people and then they started using the word there friends and that cycle continued. But the big question is how did some people know exactly what the slang word valid actually was used for. Some would listen to how others used the word and they would use that for reference. Others would use there own terminology to come up with a meaning and that is why there are different varieties of meaning for the slang valid. 

According to urban dictionary it shows the many different meanings of the slang valid. For example some of the meaning it showed are “if your agreeing with someone, saying your okay, checking up on someone to see if that person is okay, something that is very cool, something that is exciting or of a high standard, judging someone appearance, judging clothes or an outfit you have seen, something that you think is awesome or expressed in admiration, and also saying if a person is cute, attractive or not cut at all”.(urban dictionary). Over time there will be even more meaning for the slang word valid appearing from other people.

Most people just end up making up meanings along the way then other people just started to use the word in the same way as them.For example I asked one of my classmates from high school how did he know about the slang word valid and he said “when he went to play in a basketball tournament he overheard one of his teammates asking someone do they think the sneakers they saw someone was wearing was valid because he was thinking about buying them then when he was in the game someone fouled him and his teammate came up to him and asked was he valid”. So from then on my classmate just assumed that the word valid could be used to ask if someone is okay and also can be to decide if clothes or sneakers look good enough to buy. Additionally from that moment he started using the slang word and also he is one of the reasons I use the word up to today because he used to say it so much throughout high school. As I started to use the word myself my friend had asked me what does the word valid means because he said he the way I used it was different from the way he heard someone using so he wanted to know if there were multiple meanings to the slang word valid.

According to urban dictionary here are some examples people use the word valid for, yo do you think the weather will be valid because im tryna play ball, do you think these sneakers is valid enough to buy, yo my eyes valid cause I was just finished smoking, you valid cause you look sick, do you think my outfit is valid, yo you think she look valid cause I was thinking about talking to her, yo that party last night was valid, She As Valid As Sam Jabra. People use the word valid is in many different ways. The word is very easy to understand and interpret especially if its someone first time hearing it, they can easily assume the meaning by the way its used.

Additionally here are some ways people use it in conversations brandon: Damn you see that girl over there, Jake: Yeah she’s valid. Keith: Yo that party last night was valid, Mathew: Yeah but those shoes I had on were valid too. Akeem: bro these sneaker to you, Anthony: yea bro they seem valid to cop.  Raul: yo bro you valid cause you look sick, Marcus: nah bro I feel terrible my head hurt and I feel light headed. No matter how people use the word everyone seemed to get used to it. There is even people from different states and even countries trying to talk like us New Yorkers by using our slang in their vocabulary. There are videos all over facebook of kids outside of the United states using the slang from America to talk to there friends even though they don’t really know all the different meanings the slang word valid holds. If foreigners were to come to America and tried to talk to like us it would sound different because of there accent and also because there not very fluent in English as yet. Additionally most people won’t know what exactly they are trying to say especially if they try to implement a slang in there sentence or vocabulary.

Therefore in conclusion the word valid means having a sound basis in logic or fact and the slang version of valid got different varieties of meanings such as if your agreeing with someone, saying your okay, checking up on someone to see if that person is okay, something that is very cool,  judging clothes or an outfit you have seen and there are hundred more. The slang word valid is one of the most popular slang words used in today society but is manly used by New Yorkers. The word can be used for literally anything in a sentence. Also it is not one of the most complicated slang words to understand or interpret because when a person hear someone use the word they can interpret the word as literally anything and then you can use it in your own way as long as it makes sense to the person you talking to.

 

 

Work Cited:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Valid

 

 

Among the words that are very important to my family, my culture and me, there is the word “Burkindi”. By definition, it means the quality of being honest, diligent, having humility, generosity, and dignity. In other words, it is the art of being irreproachable. This word derived from the name of my country “Burkina Faso”, a landlocked country in Ouest Africa. The term “Burkina Faso” is in Moore language (spoken by more than fifty percent of my county’s population), means the country of honest men. Over there people tend to put a lot of importance in how we should live and treat each other sometimes to the point where they can break the law just pretending to achieve that.

I can remember back in high school, my friends and I were getting out of school after class. It was during the “dry season”, a lot of wind and very sunny, with the usual routine. A couple of students running to the parking lot, some to their after class sessions. I was rushing to one of my friends who used to give me a ride home. I then saw a lot of people running towards the exit of the school and other people very agitated. I couldn’t talk to anyone as everybody was rushing to see what was happening. I was mostly scared and surprised because this does not happen very often. But, by pure curiosity I went ahead and followed a couple of students out, to check for myself. When I got closer I found out that a group of people had caught a guy stealing in a store. People take this extremely seriously and sometimes people caught stealing can be seriously hurt or sometimes even killed if the police don’t show up quickly. In this situation, I admit there is nothing to be proud of, but some people are just too determined in having everybody just the same, nice, honest, generous, and they are ready to cross lines to reach that goal. While many people were calling the police, some people were saying that they should teach that thief the lesson, the hard way. Like beat him up, throw him in the mud and humiliate him. To some people, this is the only way he will remember to never steal again, and for some other people including myself, using such behaviors to teach lessons is just bad for upcoming generations. In addition, it is illegal and does not depict the image “Burkinabes” pretend to represent. Luckily, the police showed up on time and the man was arrested. People in my country are very strict and culture wise, we try very hard to be as perfect as possible.

 

Burkindi was widely used by one of my country’s leaders, Thomas Sankara. He was betrayed by one of own close and childhood friend Blaise Compaore who later on took over and became president. In almost all speeches Thomas Sankara gave throughout his presidency, he mentioned about being strong, honest and generous towards others and defined all of this with one word “Burkindi”. He furthermore mentioned that Burkindi should be the biggest wealth in poor countries. Of course, that does not prevent some people from being whatever they were meant to be. So no matter how strict the rules are, will still notice some conspiracy among leaders and also some social misconduct.

 

In addition to mutual respect, that our worthy president encouraged his compatriots to have one another, he also wanted us to adopt principles that will reflect our dignity for a better future. The word Burkindi also encourages Burkinabés (inhabitants of Burklina Faso) to adopt other morals and behaviors among which I can quote the total respect towards older people. In fact, while greeting older people, it is more respectful to kneel. But of course, that tends to fade out as time goes. The more we are getting modernized, the more traditional values we are more likely to forget about.

One more person, who also praised the word Burkindi and spread its usage among our culture, is Norbert Zongo, a Burkinabé investigative journalist who worked for a news company “L’independent”. He was one of those who fought for the country’s development and perpetuating the values of our cultures, customs, social behaviors, cultural events, and education. However, as everywhere in the world, some people just can’t be like others and will do what we are all fighting hard to prevent. He was also known for his integrity and desire to put some light in every shaded spot. His hard work paid off as he was able to expose some conspiracy, impunity, and extortion within the government of Burkina Faso. That conspiracy was related to President Blaise Compaoré. His Newspaper investigated the murder of a driver who had worked for the brother of the president Blaise Compaore. He was close to proving that the driver was tortured and killed by people close to the president and was assassinated. After his murder, regarding all he did throughout his career, his oeuvre must be kept alive and what he fought for, “Burkindi”, praised.

Many other brave men have helped to preserve and perpetuate our cultural values in many ways, but for those two individuals who lost their lives in the struggle, they will be widely honored and “Burkindi” will also be more important to us Burkinabes. Furthermore, Burkindi keeps us unified, as we will be aiming the same goal, which is the expansion of our culture and customs. It also reminds us of our most praised leader because every time we say Burkinadi, that’s what comes directly in mind. Considering how hard we care about our cultures and customs, it is important for Burkinabes, to know every single aspect of it and contribute in perpetuating good manners and respect to people who fought for our country most important wealth. What Thomas Sankara and Norbert Zongo did for our country had a very big impact in the population and the sayings “Burkindi”, no matter what will be kept in their mind forever because it represents everything about Burkinabes.

Tejelni

      In the middle of summer, me and my foreigner friends were walking in the streets of Budapest Hungary. It was a beautiful hot day, people were half naked, there was loud Hungarian music going on in the local markets. We were near the beach and you could hear the sound of the water hitting the rocks.  As we enter one of the liquor stores we try to buy cold beer. When we were about to pay the and go to the cashier, my friends who speak little English hear the cashier say “tejelni” they all burst into laughter. The cashier who doesn’t have the slightest clue why my friends are laughing at him gets mad and kicks us out. But what exactly the cashier meant when he said “tejelni”.

The word literally means to milk a cow so I understand why it seemed funny to them but the cashier meant to say to pay up when he said “tejelni”. The Hungarians use a lot of slang words and they all sound weird compared to English. Furthermore, Hungarian is considered to be one of the most difficult language to learn. Learning the slang makes it also easier to communicate in Hungary. “Tejelni” is a word many people use when they tell someone to pay up, so it is a good thing if you know what this slang means.

The Hungarian language is totally different to the dialects spoken by its neighbors, which usually speak Indo-European languages. In fact, Hungarian comes from the Ularic region of Asia and belongs to the Finno-Ugric language group, meaning its closest relatives are actually Finnish and Estonian. Before Hungarian the language was spoken in Latin, but then it was replaced by Hungarian in 1844.

The word “Tejelni” originated in the 20th century and first mainly people in the city called Pecs were first using this word. However later through the years the word was used in every part of Hungary. The meaning to pay up came from when people were milking a cow they were making a lot of money in the farms. So basically the slang word came from that to pay (money).

When people use this word people who just learn the language and doesn’t know much about the slang words in Hungary might get confused what the person might trying to say. It is a very important aspect to learn as much slang in Hungary as you could, because when communicating it is easier to understand the person.

One fun fact about slang in Hungary that there is a word that made out of 44 words with no English equivalent, Hungary’s longest word is the 44 letter long phrase: Megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért. Because due to its length, it’s not used in daily conversation on a regular basis. What does it mean? Something along the lines of “for your  continued behavior as if you could not be desecrated”. Hungarian is an agglutinative language, which means that various grammatical components – such as affixes and stems can be added to a word to increase its length (and change its meaning). Thanks to this, words of over 100 letters have been created in the past, although the longer the word, the more it can tend to lose its meaning.

Over the years since its creation as a language, Hungarian has evolved and changed just like any other dialect. However, staying true to its ancient roots, Hungarian contains a whopping 68% of its etymons, or original words. Compare this with the four percent retained by the English language, or the five percent kept by Hebrew, and the scale is even more impressive.

In the end “Tejelni” is an important slang used by Hungarians because many people use it when someone has to pay something, so it is better if you know the actual meaning behind it because people definitely don’t mean to tell you to milk a cow.

 

 

Source: https://dailymagyar.wordpress.com/category/hungarian-words-all-posts/hungarian-slang/

https://books.google.com/books?id=y_MBw_clh4UC&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110&dq=Tejelni+szo+szarmazasa&source=bl&ots=8czZToURSY&sig=ACfU3U264Jsfc0Fr1Qv3RTFvBsl3oiY9MA&hl=hu&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-t9nArI3hAhWKY98KHfNiBB0Q6AEwBXoECAgQAQ

Britney Lilly

Dr. Hall

1101-D355

3. 11.19

                                                 Aegyo: Super Cute!!!

1 plus 1 equals Gwiyomi, 2 plus 2 equals Gwiyomi, 3 plus 3 equals Gwiyomi, 4 plus 4 equals Gwiyomi too, 5 plus 5 equals Gwiyomi too, 6 plus 6 equals Chu chu Chu chu Chu chu Gwiyomi, I’m Gwiyomi-   Korean Aegyo song

 

That moment when you just want jagis(honey) last bite of ice and unleash the powerful trio: puppy eyes, pouted lips and fake huffing. Here in America some call this being cute though honestly, most would call it annoying and needy. In South Korea, they actually have a word solely dedicated to this act called aegyo. I remembered the first time I saw a K-pop music video and I was seventeen years old. This group called Big Bang had just debuted, and instantly I was hooked. To this day I am still a diehard Big Bang fan. It had everything any Asian culture fanatic would want, at least for me that is. Music videos alone were a work of art with beautiful stories being told, mesmerizing dance moves, varieties of colors and a ton of cute actions as fan service. I mean, who doesn’t like a good fan service from their idols am I right? Now, remember when I say fan service, at least for K-pop, I mean a bunch of things from simple fingers symbols to full-on gender bend outfits and actions.

Aegyo is the action of being ‘cute’ and is primarily used by women in South Korea when speaking to loved ones or trying to gain something that they want as well as flirting. When performing Aegyo you have to remember that not everybody enjoys it and it is seen as very annoying at times because there is what is called fake Aegyo and natural Aegyo. Fake is normally what you would see on TV or performances and overly exaggerated movements or words. Natural is when you’re not trying to seem cute for somebody and it tends to be the one that’s less annoying generally. Aegyo is generally expressed by females by simple actions like delicately covering their teeth while they laugh which is very common and acting like they are unable to open things like cans of soda. Aegyo is one of the most common acts in South Korea, as well as progressively within the United States amongst those who enjoy Korean economic export as in Korean music, K-dramas and movies. It is otherwise known as Hallyu which is a Chinese umbrella term used to refer to the phenomenal growth of the Korean culture amongst the western cultures. The closest English word we could find would be winsome.

If you happen to be into K-dramas or K-pop then you have already seen and heard Aegyo being used by actors or a multitude of singers. With K-pop comes biases, with biases comes fandoms and that fandom will ask for Aegyo and lots of ‘bwing bwing’. Let’s not forget something, we even see Agyeo here in the United States which are girls pouting their lips daily and wide-eyed ganging the peace sign while snapping selfies in a coffee shop. Even though it usually tends to be females, males are able to use it as well normally reserving it for the cute baby talk with their partner.

Fans use Korean words in their daily speech, these words are generally a form of Korean slang that recurs frequently in the Korean pop culture. For me, I find that the fans who I am generally around are female, so we call each other either 언니 (elder sister) or  동생 (younger sibling) and will talk about our biases (favorite group or person) as some call them 오빠 (big brother) which kind of makes me think of sempai (先輩)  (upperclassmen) in Japanese. For example, I like talk to Zevanya about our biases a lot, especially when I’m really down. Watching G-Dragon doing really cute things as simple as just making cute faces or acting out the Gwiyomi song can really make me giddy. For a better understanding try imaging a bunch of little girls screaming at a Justin Bieber concert, now stop. I apologize for making you imagine that, but you get a general idea of just how fans act when talking amongst ourselves and cooing with an immense amount of Korean hand gestures like the finger hearts or the ‘v’ sign (in Korean movie is different as the English letter) and pouting while using sickeningly sweet baby voices.

I remember when I first got into Korean music and would show it to my friends since it made me feel happy and they would look at me like I grew two heads. Acting in an aegyo fashion with my loved ones, and oddly enough, it became more expected of me even though they found it annoying. It made me feel very uncomfortable and the thing that made me happy at that time became the thing that made me the most self-conscious. To be able to find a group of people that understand my language and my interest is an amazing thing because they are so full of love. The groups that are able to invoke this much emotion have a huge impact on aegyo. As a fan you’re gonna wanna watch your favorite group perform live because it’s almost there in the actual crowd. K – pop artists seem to have a lot more fun with their fans while performing which is easy for you as the viewer to feel like you’re there and they’re actually trying to interact with you.

Groups or singers that are very well known for using it is Girls generation which is just a group of cute Aegyo girls in my honest opinion. Followed by Se7en, Wanna One, Monsta X, the list goes on. In the K-pop comes fandoms and those fandoms ask for Aegyo and bbwing bbwing. I really enjoy how cultures bring diverse people together in mutual understanding. To me, a word as simple as aegyo is a great example of a cultural phenomenon that can be, and often is, misunderstood and/or interpreted in an unnecessarily negative light. Many may have that love-hate relationship with aegyo culture, most seem to lean more towards the latter. But for those who shy away from things they view as odd or different should remember that it is important to learn about what others enjoy with no assumptions in their minds. Everyone has a bit of aegyo in them and shouldn’t be afraid or uncomfortable to let it out.

 

~~~~ 닥터 홀 당신은 최고입니다 !!!! ~~~

 

                                          Works Cited

•             Korean, 90 Day. “Korean Aegyo: The Seven Levels.” 90 Day Korean®, 3 Feb. 2019, www.90daykorean.com/korean-aegyo/.

 

•  “Aegyo.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegyo.

 

• account, The Korea HeraldVerified. “The Korea Herald (@TheKoreaHerald).” Twitter, Twitter, 18 Mar. 2019, twitter.com/TheKoreaHerald.