Another moment of pride strucks all those Indians who are always ready to prompt “Aiyoh!” to any question thrown at them.
Their silly yet charming way of verbally getting away with anything by just this magical word which could be pronounced as “Aiyoh” or has another flavour , “Aiyah” , if you like it.
Like it or not , but it is definitely one of the favourite of “Oxford English Dictionary (OED)” and has included the exasperation word in its latest addition in the last month , that is September and is out now!
As we all know , OED that is Oxford English Dictionary is considered as “The Bible” for children in this majorly English speaking world. Infact, it is widely accepted as a authentic guide and source to turn upto whenever in uncertainty of what the word means or how to spell it!
It is not the first time that an Indian word has found its solace in Oxford English Dictionary (OED) , but this world has multiple meanings depending on its context and tone.
“Aiyoh!” or “Aiyaah!” being inter changeable which sometimes denote surprise , pain , irritation or even disgust and lament.
But the few Indians had a different feeling for the inclusion of their favourite word into OED , and here is the excerpt!
“I am appalled at inclusion of this word. It is not English , though OED is expanding its territory and including popular regional words. But being a writer and editor , I cannot risk with the purity of language , it is so unaccepting for me yet I can use them in my everyday life within a context!” says Shailaja Vishwanath , a former teacher of English and now a freelance writer and editor.
To remind you all , there was also a film called “Aiyaa” starring Rani Mukherjee and Prithviraj. And we also have enough movie songs with this word in it!
Another Author and a Veteran Journalist Gita Aravamudan says “It is just a hype. We Indians do have a distinct language drawn from different parts of the country yet we do not need any endorsements from others!”
Whatever the mixed response the inclusion of this word have received , it has really took me with “Aiyoh!”
