Friday, November 11, 2005
La la means I love you - Swing Out Sisters
I never realised it til I got over here. I use the "lah"s a lot!!!!
When I got here, I had to consciously stop myself from doing it - the fact that it sounds so weird when I say it to me European flatmates (plus the look of bewilderment on their faces)!
For you non-M'sians (and non-S'poreans), the "la" and it's variations ("lah", "lar", "ah") is a very Malaysian thing. We use it usually at the end of sentences. Depending on how it is said (the tone, the speed, the volumme), it can be taken to mean a lot of different things - and it gives added emphasis on the intention of the speaker.
It can be used to signify frustration when spoken loudly, emphasising the "a":-
It can be used as a persuasive factor when spoken in a sweet way, dragging the "a":-
It can used to signify reluctance or unsatisfaction when spoken in a "breathy" manner:-
There are many more examples - but the beauty of it is that you can use for any purpose at any time! You can even use it without any meaning - just for the sake of it lah!
I remember reading an article when the Singaporeans laid claim on the "la" saying that it was sumthing to do with the Hokkien they speak. Come on lah - it has to do with the Malay language! In the Malay language, they have extensions at the end like "kah", "kan" and "lah"! It is Malaysian!
Anyways, we Malaysians had our Malaysian Society meeting tonite! Finally!
Me mate Markus said he'd meet me at 10 mins to 6 to go. The meeting was to start at 6. I wanted to tell him that it was after all a "Malaysian" Society meeting - so do we really expect it to start at 6 sharp?
Well, I hate to say it but I was right! When we reached there, there was only one other person - the eventual President for 2005-2006 and the organiser for tonite's meeting. At least she was punctual!
Still, I had a great time cuz it was sooooo Malaysian! We started late. Everyone was pretty laid back. And we all spoke in our Malaysian accent wif all the "la"s freely, interspersed wif the Malay language. In the back ground, we had songs in the Malay and Indian language. We had food like curry chicken and "nasi bryani" (a M'sian rice dish cooked wif spices and vege) - and altho it was cooked by Turks, it tasted quite close to Malaysian! We talked of a lot of Malaysian stuffs too! And at the end of the meeting, we all "tar pow"ed the food and brought it back to our flats!
I was telling Markus initially that I din wanna stay on for dinner - but in the end I did and I have to say that I enjoyed meself. As much as I am unhappy about a lot of things wif the country I am from, it is after all still home. And there's no place like home lah!
ok, ok the final "lah" din really quite work out but it was nice to end off the post wif a "lah", rite? Give me a break-lah! ;-P
When I got here, I had to consciously stop myself from doing it - the fact that it sounds so weird when I say it to me European flatmates (plus the look of bewilderment on their faces)!
For you non-M'sians (and non-S'poreans), the "la" and it's variations ("lah", "lar", "ah") is a very Malaysian thing. We use it usually at the end of sentences. Depending on how it is said (the tone, the speed, the volumme), it can be taken to mean a lot of different things - and it gives added emphasis on the intention of the speaker.
It can be used to signify frustration when spoken loudly, emphasising the "a":-
Enough-lah! Stop pestering me-lah! Don't-lah!
It can be used as a persuasive factor when spoken in a sweet way, dragging the "a":-
Please-lah. Buy for me lah. Pick me up lah.
It can used to signify reluctance or unsatisfaction when spoken in a "breathy" manner:-
Alright-lah. If you say so lah. Anything you want lah.
There are many more examples - but the beauty of it is that you can use for any purpose at any time! You can even use it without any meaning - just for the sake of it lah!
I remember reading an article when the Singaporeans laid claim on the "la" saying that it was sumthing to do with the Hokkien they speak. Come on lah - it has to do with the Malay language! In the Malay language, they have extensions at the end like "kah", "kan" and "lah"! It is Malaysian!
Anyways, we Malaysians had our Malaysian Society meeting tonite! Finally!
Me mate Markus said he'd meet me at 10 mins to 6 to go. The meeting was to start at 6. I wanted to tell him that it was after all a "Malaysian" Society meeting - so do we really expect it to start at 6 sharp?
Well, I hate to say it but I was right! When we reached there, there was only one other person - the eventual President for 2005-2006 and the organiser for tonite's meeting. At least she was punctual!
Still, I had a great time cuz it was sooooo Malaysian! We started late. Everyone was pretty laid back. And we all spoke in our Malaysian accent wif all the "la"s freely, interspersed wif the Malay language. In the back ground, we had songs in the Malay and Indian language. We had food like curry chicken and "nasi bryani" (a M'sian rice dish cooked wif spices and vege) - and altho it was cooked by Turks, it tasted quite close to Malaysian! We talked of a lot of Malaysian stuffs too! And at the end of the meeting, we all "tar pow"ed the food and brought it back to our flats!
I was telling Markus initially that I din wanna stay on for dinner - but in the end I did and I have to say that I enjoyed meself. As much as I am unhappy about a lot of things wif the country I am from, it is after all still home. And there's no place like home lah!
ok, ok the final "lah" din really quite work out but it was nice to end off the post wif a "lah", rite? Give me a break-lah! ;-P
# posted by imissw : 9:49:00 pm
Comments:
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i know! i realised it when i was shopping in phuket, and the shopkeepers spotted our lah's and called me and k "lah lah's" sighh. oo hi markus!
Yeah! In uni, these Hongkies started following my LAHs.
E.g. Ahm...what time you going to the lai-ber-ree....LAH?
Wrong, just wrong.
E.g. Ahm...what time you going to the lai-ber-ree....LAH?
Wrong, just wrong.
# posted by 
: Sun Nov 13, 05:17:00 am
: Sun Nov 13, 05:17:00 am
i just found out that i may hv been too self-conscious - i was chatting wif me greek flat mate and asked him if he noticed the "lah"s in me sentences.
he said no!
but maybe he just dun understand a single thing that i say... :-P
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he said no!
but maybe he just dun understand a single thing that i say... :-P
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