Category Archives: Folk speech

Bowing to your elders on new years

Informant is a descendant of Korean immigrants who moved to the states in the early 80s and now resides in Utah.

Tradition as told by informant: When we were young, we bowed to a picture of (I think it was grandpa) at new years. Now we just bow to our elders.

Every new years in Korean culture we bow to our elders in a traditional way, and in return they give us cash as a form of good luck for the new year. This is also coupled with a word of advice and/or some kind of proverb with a moral lesson.

I usually look forward to this day for the money :).

Mataron a mi tio!

Nationality: USA
Age: 21
Occupation: dishwasher
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 04/27/16
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

I work in a kitchen with a large amount of Hispanics. And towards the end of the day when we’re all worn out some of my coworkers will say things to sort of boost spirits amongst the others. There was one I heard a lot: “Mataron a mi tio!” It is said in a tone where the phrase increases in volume. So it kind of goes like this: mataron a MI TIO! The phrase is quick and short, but gets people to smile and keep on working hard.

After asking around one of the workers there told me that it was a play on catchphrase a famous radio show would say on 103.1 FM.

I couldn’t find out what the original phrase was, but literally translated “mataron a mi tio!” means “they killed my uncle!”. I wish I knew more about the inside joke, but now every time I hear it at work I understand through context that the phrase is said to lift spirits and moral. It’s one of those occupational folklore that is only known by people that work there.

‘We’ll Cross Every River As We Get There’

Nationality: Ethiopian
Age: 19
Residence: California
Performance Date: 4/15/16
Primary Language: English

The informant is a freshman at the University of Southern California. She provides some background information about where she is from and how she was raised in America after migrating from Ethiopia and introduces an Ethiopian proverb she learned from her family.  

Me: “Start with telling me a little bit about your dad, maybe who he was, and about how he told you the proverb.  Then you can tell me what he told you and why the saying may or may not be significant to your life.”

 

E: “Okay, so I was born in Ethiopia and immigrated here to the states when I was younger…but I was raised in an Ethiopian household, so that’s like my entire upbringing, culturally, heritage wise. My dad is a really cool guy. Probably my favorite person, like in life. Um, He parents better through proverbs, so anytime I have like an issue or a problem in my life, he’ll always hit me with one, and his favorite one to tell me growing up…um, I used to worry a lot and be like a really stressed out person all the time…and he would always tell me…’we’ll cross every river as we get there.’ And It’s basically describing a story of, like a farmer with his sheep and his flock, and how he can stand with them in a field and…maybe stress about any dangers that might come in the future or you know some predator that may come and steal his sheep or eat his sheep or something like that, or one of the sheep could get lost…there’s a million things to worry about but if you let your mind deviate on those thoughts then you kind of forget about what’s currently happening in the present moment. So the proverb is if there’s a river that you have to cross, you worry about that river when you get to that river…for now you just stay in your place.”  

 

This proverb is especially useful because I get very anxious about things that will happen in the future or that I may have little to no control over. To be able to remind myself of this saying that basically says to take it one step at a time, is personally therapeutic for me, so I think I can relate to the participant’s understanding of the proverb as well.

 

Live Your Life While The Sun Shines

Nationality: Ethiopian/ Hawaiian
Age: 19
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/15/16
Primary Language: English

The informant is a freshman at the University of Southern California. Over Spring break, she vacationed in Hawaii where she met a local in Maui, Hawaii.  He was working at a tattoo parlor and is originally from Maui. The local was able to communicate a folkloric proverb to Elshadaii that he found significant to Hawaiian culture. Elshadaii was able to pass it down to me.  

 

E: “It goes, ‘Oi Kau ka lau, e hana ola honua,’ and it means that while the sun remains risen, you should do all that you can.”

 

M: “So what does this mean to you?”

 

E: “It’s basically saying to do all that you can while you are still alive and breathing. While the sun is still up and you have the freedom of opportunity, make the most of it! I think this is a lot like ‘Carpe Diem: Seize the Day!’”

Hawaiian: ‘Oi Kau ka lau, e hana ola honua,’

English: Live your life while the sun shines.

Roman: trăiesc viața în timp ce soarele strălucește

I feel as though there is a powerful meaning behind this proverb. I was raised to go through every day with a goal in mind, and this proverb teaches a similar lesson. Often times we forget how short life can be, and I interpreted this proverb as saying to be productive each and every day and to live life happily. The translations of the proverb serve the purpose of showing that the lesson within the proverb is universal and can be applied to everyone.

‘The Tide Decides…’

Nationality: Ethiopian/ Hawaiian
Age: 19
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/15/16
Primary Language: English

The informant is a freshman at the University of Southern California. Over Spring break, she vacationed in Hawaii where she met a local in Maui, Hawaii.  He was working at a tattoo parlor and is originally from Maui. The local was able to communicate a folkloric proverb to Elshadaii that he found significant to Hawaiian culture. Elshadaii was able to pass it down to me.

 

E: “This one goes, ‘the tide decides but leaves behind seashells on the sand. For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains.’”

 

Me: “ What does this mean to you?”

 

E: “Um, I think it’s basically a metaphor for the coming and going things in our lives. To me, it encompasses all of the joys that we come across and how they are beautiful in their own time but eventually everything must pass. And although that can be a sad thing, it’s better to focus on the good growth it brought us as opposed to focusing on the negatives.”

 

I feel as though this proverb perpetuates an optimistic outlook on life. The informant interpreted the proverb as saying that good things will come and go in life, but we should appreciate the growth we experienced as a result of these events. I think the proverb speaks more about being happy that certain things happened versus being sad that they are gone or over. Nonetheless, the proverb spreads a positive message and encourages readers to be more positive about the coming and going of people, experiences, etc.