“Aiyo! Aiyo!” AIYO penetrates the Oxford Dictionary

News Item, 10 October 2016

Aiyo! It’s officially In Oxford Dictionary Now!

“Aiyoh”, a common expression in Sri Lanka, South India, Singapore, Malaysia and South Africa.  Now it is among more than 1000 newly pinned words that made it into the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary last month. Oxford Dictionary is the most widely referred book for English nuances. The Oxford dictionary is 150 years old and for people who swear by it, if a word is not included in this book that word is not English. Period. It keeps updating its list of words each year by adding some commonly used words.

“Aiyoh“, defined as expressing many emotions – distress, regret, pain, surprise, grief, disappointment, irritation and disgust.

It has been reported that Oxford English Dictionary believes that this word has originated from China (Aiyoh in Mandarin). The Oxford English Dictionary adds new words four times a year. Some scholars are believed to be unhappy with the inclusion of these words in the dictionary as they believe this takes away the purity of the English language in all effect and is offending, but they have been using these colloquial words in their daily lives.

PS: This polishing moment is NOT one which can ever be a catalyst for “Aiyo, Aiyo” …. However, …. …………it may open the door for “Apoyi” 

 to slide through the elevated doors of The Oxford Dictionary.

OR…. to add another ‘gasp of surprise’ in Sinhala sent to me — in the spirit of this post and its lady-in-attendance –by Sunil De Silva (Sydney) “Ammata Siri”