How many times in a day does words like “Aiyoh” and “Aiyah” come to your mouth? Probably many a times in a day’s talk.
The words are so widely used that the Oxford English Dictionary has included them in its latest addition this September. The OED was and is the Bible of “correct English” for many children in the English-speaking world. It is widely regarded as the accepted authority and guide on the English language -- something you refer to when in doubt.
Like many Indian words, this one is loaded and can mean many things depending on context and tone -- irritation, disgust, surprise, dismay, pain, lament, disappointment, with ‘Aiyah’ and ‘Aiyoh’ being interchangeable. The variants of these two words are widely used in many South Asian countries.
The OED also shows that the two words commonly used in
South India originates from China- as
‘Aiyoh’ is Mandarin and ‘Aiyah’ comes from Cantonese dialects of Chinese
language.
OED has also included words like YOLO (You Only Live
Once), Moobs (Man Boobs), casa, cheerlead and gender-fluid among others.
