By Rohiman Haroon

If you happen to be in Kedah for a kenduri or a mass event, don’t be stumped when say, a Kedah woman tells a man to stop “me-ghe-nyeh” (flirting) with her daughter.

If her daughter responds to the man’s flirtation, the mother would harshly reprimand her in a high-pitched tone : “Hang jangan dok meghe-nyam sangat.” (Don’t you behave slutty now?).

Slutty may be a wrong choice of word, but “meghe-nyam” is more inclined to the Malay meaning of “menggatal” or “gedik” of a girl behaving rather obstrusive in an unwelcome manner but at the same time, wanting to attract a man’s attention.

The synonym to “meghe-nyam” is “meghe-la” but Kedahan also use “gatai” to describe a woman’s unbecoming behaviour. Penangites had another word for it – “gha-rit” while Kelantanese would say “gele-nyar.”

I am always dumbfounded when I speak to a Kedahan with a deep accent that has lots of argots or slang language in their conversation.

A child interrupts her mother, who gets annoyed when she is preoccupied talking to her friend, she’d say: “Jangan dok kacau orang tua bercakap, pi sana, aku kutey hang baru tau.” (Don’t interrupt us talking, go away, I’d pinch you, then you know the pain).

A man who behaves foolishly and childish when cracking a joke amongst friends or unabashedly behaving rather blokeish, he is said to be “keloloh”. “Hang ni betoi-betoi keloloh, perangai macam budak-budak.”

“Hemoi” is another unabashed and sometimes, audacious behaviour when a man without any qualms and tinge of shame intrudes into a conversation or do without another person’s approval.

In Baling, I once saw a scuffle when an Umno man brashly told a Pas member: “Mung gedebe” (roughneck or ruffian depending on the situation). But the usual word used by most Kedahans is “kahaq” almost akin to “samseng” (thug).

In that particular scuffle, the Pas member who was holding a stick, responded: “Aku punggai kayu ini kat hang, baru tau.” Then the Umno man said: “Ala…hang ni ka-nyaq (a greenhorn) baru masuk politik. Aku “ghim-bok” (beat up) hang nanti, hang “terple’ot” (injured) habaih takut “gha-gaih” (climb) pokok.”

It was a scene to behold.In another situation, I watched a video of a Pas state leader addressing a crowd of kampong folks, telling:

“PH ni, tuan-tuan, suka “mengacom” (instigate) orang-orang kampung. Tapi tak pa, bila PRN nanti, depa kalah, depa “mengho-not” (pushed deep) masuk lubang sampai “kam-buih” (all buried). Dak pun, depa lari dari Kedah “tungging-buyung” (in unsteady manner).”

There are 1,001 argots that you can learn in a conversation with a Kedahan. Let me put out 30 plus terms of slang frequently used in their daily conversations.

1. Ligan – to chase

2. Cemuih – getting bored

3. Tokak or ge-ghet – to bite

4. tak dan – unable to do it in given time

5. lokoih – all drenched

6. ketegaq – stubborn

7. kelepiaq – panicky

8. sene-gheh – almost hitting each other

9. tahaq – to withstand, or to hold

10. melilau – jaywalking

11. juih – pointing with potruding lips

12. luku – to knock one’s head

13. ghodong – to lurge towards something

14. pe-ghasat – extremely jealous

15. mandom – slow as in slow learner

16. ghabit – torn

17. kok-ko – carry another person on one’s back

18. gomoi – wrestle

19. polok – to eat in full mouth

20. ghalet – preoccupied

21. mengkelan – food trapped in the throat?

22. pedai ayam – lock and key

23. pulun – try hard to get or achieve something

24. pelekoh – to force someone into doing something

25. terejai – to speak with rudeness

26. mengkala – if

27. lagu mana – how or what if depending on the situation

28. lapaq ayaq – very thirsty

29. koi-koi – slow and steady

30. nge-nyeh – to smile

31. pe-ghembang – to aim

And my favorite is “apa nama” which was also Tun Mahathir’s pun.

C’est la vie.