HEARING TERENGGANUSPEAK

Sometimes some of you might accuse some Terengganu leaders of abandoning their good sense but that is another story altogether and it is debateable. What cannot be denied is Terengganuspeak caters to all the Five Senses - hearing, sight, taste, touch and smell. Since this could be good for at least 5 posts, I shall be frugal this time and deal only with the first.

If the English exploded with bangs, Terengganu speakers have dang for the sound of a collision, gunfire etc. For multiple or prolonged gunfire, there is dung dang dung dang. You have to hear those sounds in your head. The English fell with a thud while the Terengganu speaker jatuh bedebok. Bedebok is the sound produced when a large part of your body meets the ground. If you rummage the crockery cupboard in Terengganu, you will hear keltung keletang. More frustrations will make you turn the whole kitchen upside down and you will make noises that Terengganu speakers identify as gerudung geradang.

Then there is pereh pereh. Usually this is used to describe someone wearing slippers walking because I have not heard the use of pereh pereh other than "Dia mari paka selipa jepung pereh pereh." If you have, please let me know.

People in the advertising industry do not sell cornflakes or potato chips. They sell the snap and the crackle. They do not sell steaks, they sell the sizzle. I suppose if there were similar ads in Terengganuspeak, they would use keruk keruk instead of the crackle:

Makanglah Kerepek Minjja Mok Nik
Rapuh keruk keruk
Sedak sapa menjilat siku.

That makes me hungry. You have a good lunch too okay?

Labels: Terengganu words