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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006"Amah" as interjection
Hello to AUE. I've recently noticed this (see subject line) in Australia, but don't recall hearing it in AmE (am expat Yank). Anyone know the history? I am aware of "amah" for wet nurse or serving girl, but this seems to be an unrelated usage. It is typically exclaimed in a situation where the speaker is remarking on the hearer's misbehavior, as if to say "Oh, I've caught you doing something shameful, and I'm going to tell." Is it familiar to BrE speakers? Etymological guesses, anyone? Michael West <mbwest@bigpond.com> had it: > Hello to AUE. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Is it familiar to BrE speakers? Etymological guesses, anyone? It's not familiar to this BrE speaker - could you give an example? And how is it pronounced in your experience? The "wet nurse" form is presumably British Raj Indian (Hindi?), but I haven't heard it for decades, not surprisingly. PS it's helpful if you repeat the whole of the question in the body - many of us skim read (there are a lot of posts here) and we often ignore the subject line (which frequently bears no relationship to the body).  SignatureDavid ===== >Michael West <mbwest@bigpond.com> had it: > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >The "wet nurse" form is presumably British Raj Indian (Hindi?), but I >haven't heard it for decades, not surprisingly. I had assumed that it to be of Hindi origin, but apparently it isn't: http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/amah?view=uk amah * noun a nursemaid or maid in the Far East or India. - ORIGIN Portuguese ama. http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1 861585011 a·mah (plural a·mahs) noun nurse or servant in Asia: in East and South Asia, a woman employed as a children's nurse, domestic servant, office cleaner, or attendant [Mid-19th century. Via Portuguese ama "nurse" < medieval Latin amma "mother"] SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> Michael West <mbwest@bigpond.com> had it: >> [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > [Mid-19th century. Via Portuguese ama "nurse" < medieval Latin > amma "mother"] Thanks for that. It says exactly the same thing in my COD. It's good to be shaken out of one's torpor now and again. Cheers, Sage Michael West wrote: > Hello to AUE. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Is it familiar to BrE speakers? Etymological guesses, anyone? I know the one you mean, Mike, but I think it is "Um, ah!". Almost always followed by "I'm going to tell on you". It's commonly heard in primary school playgrounds. I think it has been around a long time, since at least my parents' childhood (1930s), and probably longer. I don't know quite why it is so closely tied to the situation of catching someone out. Perhaps it was originally a parody of a long-forgotten pantomime character, or something of that sort. -- Regards John for mail: my initials plus a u e at tpg dot com dot au >I know the one you mean, Mike, but I think it is "Um, ah!". Almost >always followed by "I'm going to tell on you". It's commonly heard in [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >originally a parody of a long-forgotten pantomime character, or >something of that sort. That's the one, all right, John. It has a delightful music to it, so that one immediately understands its meaning just by the rising and falling tones. But this isn't the hesitant "um"; it's an entirely new sort of "um." A very emphatic "um". -- MW Michael West wrote: >> I know the one you mean, Mike, but I think it is "Um, ah!". Almost >> always followed by "I'm going to tell on you". It's commonly heard in [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > falling tones. But this isn't the hesitant "um"; it's an entirely new > sort of "um." A very emphatic "um". Oh, I'm with you now! It's like "Mum!" but without the leading M. SignatureLinz Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford My accent may vary >Oh, I'm with you now! It's like "Mum!" but without the leading M. It might be as you say. Where and when have you heard it, please? -- MW Michael West wrote: >> I know the one you mean, Mike, but I think it is "Um, ah!". Almost >> always followed by "I'm going to tell on you". It's commonly heard in [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > falling tones. But this isn't the hesitant "um"; it's an entirely new > sort of "um." A very emphatic "um". A good place to look for further information might be the books by June Factor, mentioned here: http://www.abc.net.au/splatt/rhymes/factor.htm She has collected a lot of childrens' playground rhymes and chants. I expect most Australian public libraries would have the books. -- Regards John for mail: my initials plus a u e at tpg dot com dot au Michael West wrote: > Hello to AUE. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > hearer's misbehavior, as if to say "Oh, I've caught you doing > something shameful, and I'm going to tell." Perhaps it's Turkish for "alas" or southern Slav for "but". SignatureRob Bannister Michael West wrote: > ... > I've recently noticed this (see subject line) in Australia, but don't > recall hearing it in AmE (am expat Yank). > ... > Is it familiar to BrE speakers? Etymological guesses, anyone? Neva 'eard ov et, in Victoria, 'straylia (apart from what John Holmes said about 'um, ah..'). Is it just very local to you (what State)? Or someone imitating someone else, perhaps? SignatureSolo Thesailor http://sailingstoriesandtips.blogspot.com >Michael West wrote: >> ... [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >said about 'um, ah..'). Is it just very local to you (what State)? Or >someone imitating someone else, perhaps? It is widespread, according to Victorians and Queenslanders I've asked. But I don't know what you mean about "apart from what John Holmes said". Do you mean you agree that the spelling should be "Um, ah"? This is not what I hear from most people who are familiar with the expression. -- Michael West Michael West wrote: > Hello to AUE. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Is it familiar to BrE speakers? Etymological guesses, anyone? It's familiar to this one, but only as used by my Greek-speaking students when I worked in Athens back when Adam was a lad. It was an all purpose mild exclamation - I'd guess something like fergoodnessakes! When I asked some of the students I was told it was an old Turkish word. Lots of Greek speakers in Aus, I believe... DC > It's familiar to this one, but only as used by my Greek-speaking > students when I worked in Athens back when Adam was a lad. It was an > all purpose mild exclamation - I'd guess something like > fergoodnessakes! When I asked some of the students I was told it was > an old Turkish word. Which is what I suggested earlier. All the Balkan languages contain Turkish words. Old Macedonian song: Tri godini, bolen lezham, Aman, aman, amah, Za tvojite tserni ochi. (For 3 years, I've been lying ill, alas, all for the sake of your dark eyes). I had to ask what the refrain meant and was told "aman" is a nonsense word, but amah is Turkish. SignatureRob Bannister > I had to ask what the refrain meant and was told "aman" is a > nonsense word, Truly? SignatureBuckwheat Soba } Robert Bannister wrote: }> I had to ask what the refrain meant and was told "aman" is a }> nonsense word, } } Truly? Next thing you know sb will be saying that "aplan" is a nonsense word. Signaturerjv > > It's familiar to this one, but only as used by my Greek-speaking > > students when I worked in Athens back when Adam was a lad. It was an [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Aman, aman, amah, > Za tvojite tserni ochi. aman is turkish, Oh! amah does not make sense. > (For 3 years, I've been lying ill, alas, all for the sake of your dark > eyes). I had to ask what the refrain meant and was told "aman" is a > nonsense word, but amah is Turkish. >>>It's familiar to this one, but only as used by my Greek-speaking >>>students when I worked in Athens back when Adam was a lad. It was an [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > aman is turkish, Oh! amah does not make sense. Thanks for that. I must have understood it back to front. SignatureRob Bannister > > > It's familiar to this one, but only as used by my Greek-speaking > > > students when I worked in Athens back when Adam was a lad. It was an [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > aman is turkish, Oh! amah does not make sense. perhaps from older turkish meaning "bad" > > (For 3 years, I've been lying ill, alas, all for the sake of your dark > > eyes). I had to ask what the refrain meant and was told "aman" is a > > nonsense word, but amah is Turkish. |
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