aiya en · INTJ
Etymology
From Chinese 哎呀 (āiyā).
Meanings
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(Australian, China, Chinese, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, informal, qualifier:Chinese Filipino) ah; oh; exclamation of surprise, blame, dismay, shock, or fear.
“I don’t need to hear any idle gossip.” “Aiyah, it’s not idle gossip! These are important details I’ve learned just from being around them, and from what Mr. Wong found out—”
2015, Kevin Kwan, chapter 3, in China Rich Girlfriend, Doubleday, →ISBN:Aiyah, dun ask me why their name all so funny, can or not? You ask me, I ask who?
2023 September 8, Devyani Sharma, From Deficit to Dialect: The Evolution of English in India and Singapore, Oxford University Press, →ISBN:Others think I'm too loud and crazy, like our downstairs neighbor, who shouts "Aiya!" at me and slams his window.
2022, Kelly Yang, New From Here, page 23:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| aiyah | alternative | lexicographic | |
| ai yah | alternative | lexicographic | |
| aya | alternative | lexicographic |