Armenian Slang & Idioms

Che_Ka · 01-18-2005, 09:45 PM

I know that Armenians from different parts of the world use different dialects. But along with those dialects come idioms and slang. I've always been interested with this stuff (or, really - anything to do with Armenian language). So, tell me aaaallll about the words or sayings that you guys use in Armenian speech (and also their definitions

)

I'll start.

Ka - This is such a Beirutsi/Halebtsi thing! It's so versatile.

Ka, ha! -- Someone asks, "Isgabes meg jam devets doon hasnilt aysor?" and you would reply "ka, ha!" (meaning, "yeah man, for real!!").

Ha, ka... -- This changes meaning, it becomes more subdued. It means something like "yeah, man..." almost with a "who cares" attitude. Example: "Doon yertank?" "Ha, ka, yertank."

che, ka -- I looove this one. lol Kinda like "no man..." but with a hint of bewilderment or amazement.

ka -- Alone, it's used to mean something a little less than "wow." Example: "Ka, ays jasheru toon badrastetsir?"

haydeh -- I don't know whether this is Turkish or Greek or plain slang. It means "come on" (as in "hurry up"). Example, "Haydeh, kna agranert vrtsineh." It's also often shortened to just "deh." I think the original version is "ha de" and that it might come from another language.

babam -- My personal favorite. lol It means something like "dude" but with somewhat of a negative tone. "Babam, kani ankam bidi grgnem im usadzners. Mdig ureh!"

Of course if you ever hung out with me, you'd hear me say sentences like "ka, haydeh babam!" Sad but true..lol

What else?

There's "dzo," but I think lots of Armenians use it. And "aman" not to mean plate, but as an expression/exclamation like "oh my..." Apparently Barsgahays don't use it, and they think we're talking about plates. lol

Then there's a bunch of sayings I use, but those incorporate foreign words. I can think of "harmetsir tsketsir" or "genam" (meaning again; it's Turkish I think).

Anyway, I love this stuff. And I was hoping we can all share some of our personal/family slang/idioms/sayings.

xBaron Dants · 01-18-2005, 11:50 PM

gor...the classic, annoying, useless yet so "useful" gor...

"yalla" is often used by Halebtsis, Beirutsis..

Hayastantsis often use the Russian "davay".

That's all I can think of for now (4 am, pardon me).

xBaron Dants · 01-18-2005, 11:52 PM

Then there's the ever-annoying "yaw"..

"Dzo inch gnes gor yaaaaaaaw? Asang pan glla me?"

Ooh, which made me notice the "me" at the end. What's up with that?

Che_Ka · 01-19-2005, 12:04 AM

Yaaaooowww, how did I forget yaow?? (you gotta put the 'o' in there! lol) oohhh, and "yalla." Yalla babam. haha, gotta love it.

You're right. "Mu" is also used a lot!! "Bid' yertank, mu?" lol it makes no sense, but it sooo does.

Oh, I also use it a lot after "che." Like "che mu?" (meaning, "right?")

Ohh, do you use "ham"? Like, "ham g'oozes yertal, ham al hos g'oozes mnal." Sounds kinda Turkish, maybe.

Oh don't get me started on "gor." lol I'm quite a fan of it. =X

CatWoman · 01-19-2005, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baron Dants

gor...the classic, annoying, useless yet so "useful" gor...

I always wondered if "gor" was like the arevmedahay version of hayastansi's "arraaa"... lol? They both use it at the same place like "inch genis gor... araa inches anoom..."

I never heard of those ka words, but they sound funny! ka, ka ha, ha ka, che ka, ka che(ok I made this one up)...

but I can add one with ka: kaka.... means candy right?

babam was the only one from the list that I knew, hate that word!!!
I can't think of any, but I'm sure there is more....

xBaron Dants · 01-19-2005, 03:42 PM

"ka che" can actually be used.

-dghoos pjishgin kov dari.
- Dr. Basmajiane?
- Kaaa che! Dr Datevianin kov..

xBaron Dants · 01-19-2005, 03:44 PM

Gor is actually related to the verb.

Inch gnes? Tas gnem gor.

In fact, you can just say "Tas gnem"...how it was added still remains a mystery....to me at least.

**Emil** · 01-19-2005, 03:56 PM

What about "eya?"

**Anonymouse** · 01-19-2005, 05:33 PM

I say "Ba vooooooonts" alot, and "eeeeeeeeyaaa".

hyebruin · 01-19-2005, 05:38 PM

barsgahyes--at least the cultured ones---understand 'aman' and know that you don't necessarily find it in the kitchen

'babam' is a persian word, have no clue what it means but it conveys 'dude' or something like that! a totally useless expression...

my grandfather used to say 'haydeh' and he was barsgahye

i think it's another variation of 'yallah' which is also used by barsgahyes but seems to be more popular with western armenians.

yahnee (barsgahyes) yan@m, yani (hayastantsis) is just a persian word meaning "urem@n" in armenian ... for example: " yani ch@hasgatsar? kani ankam asem?"

just though of another one! with barsgahyes the past tense of 'asel' in the first person is 'asam' (i have my own theory where that 'm' came from)

...and if you want to STRESSSS to someone that you DIDDDDD tell them something, somtimes the following is used: "asam@d"...that @d adds more emphasis! i can demonstrate for those of you who are barsgahye deprived

however, i haven't used it since i was a kid, so don't laff when i say it

Dave · 01-19-2005, 06:43 PM

There's also the word ''ishteh''. It comes out a lot. There are a lot of ways to use it. You can use it as ''I agree'', and there's the other way that I don't know how to define in English...

Aboush e ishteh.
(He's like so stupid.)

The word ''Hamdullah'' (Park Asdoudzo) is used a lot by some of my relatives.

-Inchbes es?
-Hamdullah, toun inchbes es?...

The words tenekeh (gatsa), mobilia (furniture), banka (bank), etc come to mind...

Did anyone mention the word ''Beeeee''. I think this comes from Turkish and it's very similar to ''kaaa''

Ge paveh beeeeee
(Stop it already)

or

Hadé beeeee

(Come on already!)

Don't forget about some of the swear words.

Che_Ka · 01-19-2005, 08:56 PM

Oh you guys remembered so many that I forgot!!

hyebruin: Uh oh!! When I met my one barsgahay friend (lol) back in the 7th grade, she thought I was talking about plates when I said "aman." So that's where my knowledge comes from. lol

Yallah is actually a contraction of "ya Allah" from Arabic (which is where Persian would get it from, I assume).

Y'aneh is also Arabic, meaning "like" or "so." There are so many variations on how to pronounce this! Even within the same family - it's interesting!

That Barsgahay "@d" is quite interesting!! lol Never heard of that before.

Dave: Hahaha @ tanaka!!! We actually use it more for like cheap metal. Or really bad xxxlery. lol I think it's Turkish.

I've been really annoyed lately because I've noticed how sooo many of our words are Turkish! My mom claims even "pooshman" is Turkish.

(You know, like "pooshman yegha")

Good call on "beh" and "ishteh" though -- even if they are Turkish. lol

Che_Ka · 01-19-2005, 08:58 PM

Oh, and what does "eya" mean?

Hayq · 01-19-2005, 09:18 PM

the classic, "Ara!".

-hluh estegh ari, Ara, kam bernit ktam!

hyebruin · 01-19-2005, 09:23 PM

a good friend of mine calls jerks "yezi ts@nund"

i love it!!!! hahahhahahhaaaaa...we say "shaan lagod"

01-18-2005, 09:45 PM	#1
Che_Ka Չէ՛ Քա՜ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: los angeles Posts: 249	Armenian Slang & Idioms I know that Armenians from different parts of the world use different dialects. But along with those dialects come idioms and slang. I've always been interested with this stuff (or, really - anything to do with Armenian language). So, tell me aaaallll about the words or sayings that you guys use in Armenian speech (and also their definitions ) I'll start. Ka - This is such a Beirutsi/Halebtsi thing! It's so versatile. Ka, ha! -- Someone asks, "Isgabes meg jam devets doon hasnilt aysor?" and you would reply "ka, ha!" (meaning, "yeah man, for real!!"). Ha, ka... -- This changes meaning, it becomes more subdued. It means something like "yeah, man..." almost with a "who cares" attitude. Example: "Doon yertank?" "Ha, ka, yertank." che, ka -- I looove this one. lol Kinda like "no man..." but with a hint of bewilderment or amazement. ka -- Alone, it's used to mean something a little less than "wow." Example: "Ka, ays jasheru toon badrastetsir?" haydeh -- I don't know whether this is Turkish or Greek or plain slang. It means "come on" (as in "hurry up"). Example, "Haydeh, kna agranert vrtsineh." It's also often shortened to just "deh." I think the original version is "ha de" and that it might come from another language. babam -- My personal favorite. lol It means something like "dude" but with somewhat of a negative tone. "Babam, kani ankam bidi grgnem im usadzners. Mdig ureh!" Of course if you ever hung out with me, you'd hear me say sentences like "ka, haydeh babam!" Sad but true..lol What else? There's "dzo," but I think lots of Armenians use it. And "aman" not to mean plate, but as an expression/exclamation like "oh my..." Apparently Barsgahays don't use it, and they think we're talking about plates. lol Then there's a bunch of sayings I use, but those incorporate foreign words. I can think of "harmetsir tsketsir" or "genam" (meaning again; it's Turkish I think). Anyway, I love this stuff. And I was hoping we can all share some of our personal/family slang/idioms/sayings. Last edited by Che_Ka; 01-18-2005 at 09:48 PM..

01-19-2005, 12:04 AM	#4
Che_Ka Չէ՛ Քա՜ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: los angeles Posts: 249	Yaaaooowww, how did I forget yaow?? (you gotta put the 'o' in there! lol) oohhh, and "yalla." Yalla babam. haha, gotta love it. You're right. "Mu" is also used a lot!! "Bid' yertank, mu?" lol it makes no sense, but it sooo does. Oh, I also use it a lot after "che." Like "che mu?" (meaning, "right?") Ohh, do you use "ham"? Like, "ham g'oozes yertal, ham al hos g'oozes mnal." Sounds kinda Turkish, maybe. Oh don't get me started on "gor." lol I'm quite a fan of it. =X Last edited by Che_Ka; 01-19-2005 at 12:06 AM..

01-19-2005, 03:56 PM	#8
Emil Banned Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tujunga, CA Posts: 1,882	What about "eya?" __________________ We all carry reminders of our past, some are more visible than others. Some are so visible that everyone reads what they believe we've become. It's sometimes hard to dissuade others from the story they have written for us.

01-19-2005, 05:33 PM	#9
Anonymouse Beyond Good and Evil Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Mouseopolis, Population: 8 Posts: 19,196	I say "Ba vooooooonts" alot, and "eeeeeeeeyaaa". __________________ Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

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01-18-2005, 11:50 PM	#2
xBaron Dants Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tratsi-in bardeze Posts: 2,909	gor...the classic, annoying, useless yet so "useful" gor... "yalla" is often used by Halebtsis, Beirutsis.. Hayastantsis often use the Russian "davay". That's all I can think of for now (4 am, pardon me).

01-18-2005, 11:52 PM	#3
xBaron Dants Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tratsi-in bardeze Posts: 2,909	Then there's the ever-annoying "yaw".. "Dzo inch gnes gor yaaaaaaaw? Asang pan glla me?" Ooh, which made me notice the "me" at the end. What's up with that?

01-19-2005, 03:42 PM	#6
xBaron Dants Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tratsi-in bardeze Posts: 2,909	"ka che" can actually be used. -dghoos pjishgin kov dari. - Dr. Basmajiane? - Kaaa che! Dr Datevianin kov..

01-19-2005, 03:44 PM	#7
xBaron Dants Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tratsi-in bardeze Posts: 2,909	Gor is actually related to the verb. Inch gnes? Tas gnem gor. In fact, you can just say "Tas gnem"...how it was added still remains a mystery....to me at least.

01-19-2005, 05:38 PM	#10
hyebruin banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,574	barsgahyes--at least the cultured ones---understand 'aman' and know that you don't necessarily find it in the kitchen 'babam' is a persian word, have no clue what it means but it conveys 'dude' or something like that! a totally useless expression... my grandfather used to say 'haydeh' and he was barsgahye i think it's another variation of 'yallah' which is also used by barsgahyes but seems to be more popular with western armenians. yahnee (barsgahyes) yan@m, yani (hayastantsis) is just a persian word meaning "urem@n" in armenian ... for example: " yani ch@hasgatsar? kani ankam asem?" just though of another one! with barsgahyes the past tense of 'asel' in the first person is 'asam' (i have my own theory where that 'm' came from) ...and if you want to STRESSSS to someone that you DIDDDDD tell them something, somtimes the following is used: "asam@d"...that @d adds more emphasis! i can demonstrate for those of you who are barsgahye deprived however, i haven't used it since i was a kid, so don't laff when i say it

01-19-2005, 06:43 PM	#11
Dave Savior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Great North Posts: 76	There's also the word ''ishteh''. It comes out a lot. There are a lot of ways to use it. You can use it as ''I agree'', and there's the other way that I don't know how to define in English... Aboush e ishteh. (He's like so stupid.) The word ''Hamdullah'' (Park Asdoudzo) is used a lot by some of my relatives. -Inchbes es? -Hamdullah, toun inchbes es?... The words tenekeh (gatsa), mobilia (furniture), banka (bank), etc come to mind... Did anyone mention the word ''Beeeee''. I think this comes from Turkish and it's very similar to ''kaaa'' Ge paveh beeeeee (Stop it already) or Hadé beeeee (Come on already!) Don't forget about some of the swear words.

01-19-2005, 08:56 PM	#12
Che_Ka Չէ՛ Քա՜ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: los angeles Posts: 249	Oh you guys remembered so many that I forgot!! hyebruin: Uh oh!! When I met my one barsgahay friend (lol) back in the 7th grade, she thought I was talking about plates when I said "aman." So that's where my knowledge comes from. lol Yallah is actually a contraction of "ya Allah" from Arabic (which is where Persian would get it from, I assume). Y'aneh is also Arabic, meaning "like" or "so." There are so many variations on how to pronounce this! Even within the same family - it's interesting! That Barsgahay "@d" is quite interesting!! lol Never heard of that before. Dave: Hahaha @ tanaka!!! We actually use it more for like cheap metal. Or really bad xxxlery. lol I think it's Turkish. I've been really annoyed lately because I've noticed how sooo many of our words are Turkish! My mom claims even "pooshman" is Turkish. (You know, like "pooshman yegha") Good call on "beh" and "ishteh" though -- even if they are Turkish. lol

01-19-2005, 08:58 PM	#13
Che_Ka Չէ՛ Քա՜ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: los angeles Posts: 249	Oh, and what does "eya" mean?

01-19-2005, 09:18 PM	#14
Hayq Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 433	the classic, "Ara!". -hluh estegh ari, Ara, kam bernit ktam!

01-19-2005, 09:23 PM	#15
hyebruin banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,574	a good friend of mine calls jerks "yezi ts@nund" i love it!!!! hahahhahahhaaaaa...we say "shaan lagod"

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