Sayang?

Sayang.

This simple word got me thinking a lot lately.

I think in the Malaysian context, this could be the most widely used term of affection used by the old, the young, the persuader, and of course, the lovers. Well, at least where I am and where I come from.

Do you notice that this expression is an actual manifest of a specific feeling in the form of definite word rather than a noun like sweetheart or baby, just to name a few examples. ‘Sayang’, dependent on the intended degree of usage, when literally translated brings the meaning of care or love.

I think there has been a widespread usage words with similar characteristics contemporarily used of which whenever I hear them, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Some of them are straight out and down-right meaningful like in the song Kekanda Adinda, the guy in the song actually addressed his lover as ‘nyawa’ which means life. Imagine that, calling someone life. Oh, the courage it takes.

In the song baik-baik sayang, which comes from our neighbours Indonesia, used the term ‘kehormatanku’ that means my honour. I think it’s a totally sweet, dignified way of calling somebody who means a lot to you. To me it’s quite the esteem to put upon somebody. To call someone a term usually exclusively associated to oneself, really puts into perspective of how much that someone else means to them in presence or in absence.

I don’t think that this is something new, I have heard some use the term ‘cinta’ to call their loved ones in songs from the olden days. I think cinta is a very cute word by the way. ‘Bidadari’ jangan cakaplah, memang prevalent sungguh. Though that’s really a noun to begin with..

Anyway, I see that even in the usage of names can be very sweet because culturally our names carry meaning. We get very tonal when we use names. A stern tone when we want to get attention, a very slow and pinched tone when we want to show affection. That’s a given. I try to get to know as much as I can about a particular name so when I say it I usually intend to stress on the meaning as well, not just for the mere sake of calling a name. For example, Aimi, which loosely means blessings from God. I try to remember the meaning it has whenever I use it to talk to the person carrying the name.

What I’m trying to say is that, you know, words alone are of course never enough but language is a beautiful thing that we can use to decorate feelings we want to convey to other people aside from actual gestures. I think we shouldn’t hold back on things like this, the world needs more of it in fact.