one might argue that text messaging shorthand is driven by crappy text entry systems,
at least on phones or pagers not designed for qwerty or dvorak keyboard speed,
one might also contend that such shorthand owes its abbreviated form to bandwidth/messsaging length limits of primitive networks and devices (the argument to wait for 3G systems)
neither is entirely defensible given the evidence from usenet/chatrooms/2-way pagers
Children love making up 'secret codes' and abbreviated or euphemistic phrases.
At times, such constructs are part of their socializing behaviour (club passwords or phrases that associate with a certain clique), shared identity (quoting from a common media experience to reference that character and identify with that cultural myth), or conscious distancing from the world of parents (slang, britney-isms, or similar 'rebellion' through obfuscatory communication... unless you speak Prince)
I might buy the conservation of bits argument (harkens back to telegrams paid by the word) while we're still building infrastructure and packing puny displays on our cells/pagers.
Kids love for codes and imaginative play is demonstrable to parents.
What seems to be missing is the part where, as kids grow up, their mastery of language improves.
This would seem to apply equally to the "L33T 5LAXX0Rs" constructing their own 'secret club', also frequently in need of a maturity transplant.
All right, so I know all sorts of people use this phrase now - they can't all be annoying people - so what I want to know is, where in the hell did it come from? Which demon-spawn, script-kiddie coined this baby-talk phrase...?
Me no likey is an anglicized form of the term: "Mi no like e."
"Mi no like e" is an African-American term, spoken in the native creole language of African-Americans, or what is now termed as the "Gullah language".
Mi = I
no (also "nah") = don't/no
like = like (obviously)
e (also "i") = it/he/she
So in short, the sentence "Me no likey", is simply an anglicized spelling of the African-American sentence "me no like e", which means "I don't like it".
Most times, when you see a sentence, pronunciation, or words attributed in the US to "babytalk", it is almost always an African & African-American derived term/word. It simply means the linguist doesn't have the educational foundation to be able to research where these words come from. So "babytalk" becomes the default explanation.
Comments
at least on phones or pagers not designed for qwerty or dvorak keyboard speed,
one might also contend that such shorthand owes its abbreviated form to bandwidth/messsaging length limits of primitive networks and devices (the argument to wait for 3G systems)
neither is entirely defensible given the evidence from usenet/chatrooms/2-way pagers
Children love making up 'secret codes' and abbreviated or euphemistic phrases.
At times, such constructs are part of their socializing behaviour (club passwords or phrases that associate with a certain clique), shared identity (quoting from a common media experience to reference that character and identify with that cultural myth), or conscious distancing from the world of parents (slang, britney-isms, or similar 'rebellion' through obfuscatory communication... unless you speak Prince)
I might buy the conservation of bits argument (harkens back to telegrams paid by the word) while we're still building infrastructure and packing puny displays on our cells/pagers.
Kids love for codes and imaginative play is demonstrable to parents.
What seems to be missing is the part where, as kids grow up, their mastery of language improves.
This would seem to apply equally to the "L33T 5LAXX0Rs" constructing their own 'secret club', also frequently in need of a maturity transplant.
YMMV
This latest installment brought to you by the Washington Post, photo caption, front page. Damn if my primary newspaper isn't doing it now!
Will your college or high school fave contend?
WTF?!
All right, so I know all sorts of people use this phrase now - they can't all be annoying people - so what I want to know is, where in the hell did it come from? Which demon-spawn, script-kiddie coined this baby-talk phrase...?
Me no likey is an anglicized form of the term: "Mi no like e."
"Mi no like e" is an African-American term, spoken in the native creole language of African-Americans, or what is now termed as the "Gullah language". So in short, the sentence "Me no likey", is simply an anglicized spelling of the African-American sentence "me no like e", which means "I don't like it".
Most times, when you see a sentence, pronunciation, or words attributed in the US to "babytalk", it is almost always an African & African-American derived term/word. It simply means the linguist doesn't have the educational foundation to be able to research where these words come from. So "babytalk" becomes the default explanation.