Secret Language
Monday, July 21st, 2008While I was helping teach at an elementary school, I noticed the kids said 멍미 a lot. I asked the English teachers and she said she didn’t know what it meant. I thought maybe I was pronouncing it wrong or something, but later one of the students I tutor said it too, he was in 6th grade and when I asked him what it meant, he said it was ’secret language’ and that it meant just “what?!” . I don’t exactly know what it translates to, because he used it often and sometimes I think saying “what” in some situations wouldn’t quite make sense. but while I was in 서울 he high school kids used what they called “secret language” too. I think it’s more like slang though. Some other words that I learned were the slang words for elementary student, middle school student and so on. they took the normal 초등학생 and turned it into just 초딩.It’s the same for all the others: 중딩, 고딩.I don’t know if 대딩 works but it seems like it should. My cousin used this word when describing his friend, who he said used 초딩말 which is like elementary school language or, like he talks like an elementary student. Does anyone else know any “secret language” words?
Posted by steved in Travels in Korea, Steve's House |
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:40 am
Steve, you got it right : ) 대딩 works - it means 대학생 : ) and even 직딩 means 직장인 and most young Koreans will understand you if you said 직딩, although it’s really recommendable to call yourself a 직딩 in front of someone you meet for the first time Haha. : )
뭠미 comes from 뭡니까, and they drop 까 and just say 뭠미… and it kinda shows your frustration in the other person’s lack of humor or wit… in many cases. But then I might be wrong - the kids who were saying that might have meant something else : )
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
ㅎㅎ 멍미/뭠미 has become one of my favourite “secret language” words. I find kids tend to say it when they’re midly unhappy at (in my case, the teacher’s) lack of humour or unwillingness to just let them play– which I think is in keeping with what 현우 wrote. I think in English it could sorta be translated as “aw what the hell?”
I also like the ~딩’s. One of my favourites that nobody mentioned and I sometimes use with my particularly silly-acting students is 유딩 (from 유치원). In fact, some classes I can be a little silly, and then my students will accuse me of being 유딩!
I think 현우 introduced a “secret language” word a few months ago in his humour blog: 뷁. The word’s taken from a song, and it’s a teenager/older elementary student word that I think means something like “this sucks.”
July 30th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
This is way off topic haha, but you live near Yosemite, right? If I’m remembering correctly.. Has the fire affected you at all? Hope everything is okay :]
July 31st, 2008 at 12:31 am
Courtny, thanks for asking. The sky has been half full of smoke for the past several days. We like to open our house up at night to let in some cool night air and since Sunday we have been fighting off a fine white ash that sneaks in during the night and covers everything in the house.
We live far enough away to not be affected by the fire otherwise. Mariposa is about 40 miles away driving (obviously shorter 까마귀 날아가는 거리로).
Daniel, 뷁 just sounds like someone throwing up, not a pretty word.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:27 am
Yeah, I’ve been hearing “뷁” a lot these past two weeks. One of the 4th graders at my school says it just about every other word.
I’ve also been hearing something that sounds like “헐” a lot too… just another word like “oh my” or “wow” but I haven’t worked out the exact nuance yet….
July 31st, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I’ve heard 헐 often too…
Back when I was in JHS/HS, I heard 헉 a lot…