Announcement

Collapse

Forum Rules (Everyone Must Read!!!)

1] What you CAN NOT post.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to post any material which is:
- abusive
- vulgar
- hateful
- harassing
- personal attacks
- obscene

You also may not:
- post images that are too ... See more
See more
See less

Armenian Slang & Idioms

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • 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, 10:48 PM.

  • #2
    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).

    Comment


    • #3
      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?

      Comment


      • #4
        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, 01:06 AM.

        Comment


        • #5
          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....

          Comment


          • #6
            "ka che" can actually be used.

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

            Comment


            • #7
              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.

              Comment


              • #8
                What about "eya?"

                Comment


                • #9
                  I say "Ba vooooooonts" alot, and "eeeeeeeeyaaa".
                  Achkerov kute.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    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

                    Comment

                    Working...