Ooday Ooyay Eakspay Igpay Atinlay?
Pig Latin is a coded “language” people use to communicate with other Pig Latin speakers. Some consider it a game language or a code. It is far easier to speak than read.
History
According to Grammarist.com, Pig Latin increased in usage in the 1940s, with another increase in the 1970s. Its usage continued to rise, reaching a current high in the early 2000s.
Wordplays.com states, “dog latin or hog latin (early forms of Pig Latin) can be traced back to the 1589 Shakespearean play Love’s Labour’s Lost. In the mid-1800’s we saw hog latin and pig latin resurface in several periodicals. The Pig Latin we know today was first seen in an early 1900’s song by Authur Fields called Pig Latin Love, a true ode to the comical language.”
Additionally, “You can thank the Three Stooges for making two Pig Latin words mainstream. The Pig Latin version of the word “nix”, “ixnay” or “icksnay” and “scram”, “amscray” are regularly used in American English today. “Ixnay” meaning “nothing, or to cancel” and “amscray” meaning to “go away”. These words first appeared in the trio’s 1930’s comedy skits. Anksthay! Moe, Larry, and Curley.”
Pig Latin Rules of Speaking
In Wordplays.com, these are the simple steps to speak Pig Latin:
- For words that begin with a consonant followed by a vowel, take the first letter of the word before the vowel, add it to the end of the word, and add an “ay”.
For example: Boggle = oggle + b + ay = ogglebay
- For words that begin with two consonants followed by a vowel, move both consonants to the end of the word and add an “ay”.
For example: Crossword = ossword + cr + ay = osswordcray
What about words with multiple syllables, like the example “Crossword” above? Some versions of Pig Latin split up the syllables. If you want to create multi-syllable words in Pig Latin, add “ay” after each syllable with a consonant.
For example: Crossword = oss + cr + ay & ord + w + ay = osscray ordway
For words that start with a vowel, add “hay”, “way”, “yay” or “ay” to the end of the word.
For example: October = october + yay = octoberyay
Pig Latin Online Translators
There are even Pig Latin Translators online. Here’s one to try out:
Avehay Unfay!
Errymay Isthmaschray!
