The Most Universally Understood Word In The World Appears In So Many Languages

IFL Science ^ | November 20, 2024 | James Felton

[TheThirdRuffian]

I’ve heard that, too. But I understand it to be a myth.

[Repeat Offender]

You have to say it multiple times overseas. Ok, ok, ok!

[MayflowerMadam]

Guess it can be Googled. We learned about it in the ‘60s back when there was still learning in school.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Probably true. But it went global in the 1800s, long before American hegemony.

I think languages were just missing the concept.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Wiki has a pretty OK article on the disputed origin.

[subterfuge]

No.

[Fiji Hill]

The other universal word across all cultures is represented by the middle finger.

Apparently not in North Korea. When the prisoners taken on the USS Pueblo were displayed on TV, they gave the middle finger salute and told the Norks that it meant "good luck"--and the Norks believed them.

[Fiji Hill]

There are many different possible sounds available in languages, and across languages without common roots there is little crossover where words with the same meaning have similar sounds to them. The word dog, for example, used in one study, is "Hund" in German, "chien" in French, and "inu" in Japanese.

Note the words for "dog" and "cat." The word for "dog" is different in many languages--Hund (German), Cano (Italian), Perro (Spanish), Sobaka (Russian).

On the other hand, the words for "cat" are simmilar across many languages--Katze (German) Gatto (Italian) Gato (Spanish), Koshka (Russian), Chat (French). This is probably because dogs were domesticated by humans much erlier than cats.

[Huskrrrr]

I would have guessed “dude”.

[Persevero]

I learned that “hallelujah” is the same word in all languages. I liked that.

[Verginius Rufus]

I have seen different theories, that "okay" comes from an African language or an American Indian language.

The "Old Kinderhook" story seems to have started after the word had become commonly known.

An alternate theory (also false) was that OK was from Andrew Jackson's attempt to spell "all correct" (as "oll korrect").

[datricker]

Ok

[married21]

That’s what I thought: ma, mamma. Seems related to an infant wanting to breastfeed to me.

[left that other site]

However, in Canadian, it’s “eh?”

[BamaBelle]

I’m dying laughing reading this. I am guardian to my 62 y.o. ex-sister-in-law who is special needs (very child like and severe OCD). Her most hated word is “huh”. I forget and say it in front of her without thinking until I see the scowl on her face. I think it is such a weird thing for her to hate...but then I deal with a lot of oddities with her...lol

[outofsalt]

Huh or Ho? Asking for a friend.

[Jonty30]

Huh is probably part of the proto-language that all languages descend from.

I think hello and stop and what are also pretty much universally understood.

[Redcitizen]

The Navajo word for mother is ma.

Shi’ma= My mother.

Yeah I had the thought ma is universal in every language.

[blam]

"I was expecting “ma.”"

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Varsity Flight]

The Most Universally Understood Word in the World.......

....among women.....