nyaa nyaa/ naa naa

[Benjamin Barrett]

I count one too few iterations. Either /nae/ or /naa/ is fine. Palatize if you want, too.

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

On Feb 13, 2012, at 4:54 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

> A while ago I indirectly called attention to the stereotyped childhood
> taunt melody, "Nyaa nyaa nyah  NYAA nyaa!"
>
> I suggested ironically that that's what "all the people were singin'"
> on "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
>
> Even though the lyrics there are clearly "Na na na na na na," etc.
>
> OK. Twice in the past couple of weeks CNN news anchor Soledad O'Brien
> (b. 1966) has had occasion to do the taunt. But what she said clearly
> both times was "Naa naa naa NAA naa!" (No /j /).
>
> To me (b. Neolithic) this variant is weird. (Really.)  Is Suffolk Co.,
> L.I., that different from NYC? Or is English going to hell like they
> say?

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org