# Pig Latin words

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 5, 2000, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837 "2000-10-05T20:00:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837/1 "2000-10-05T20:00:32Z")

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How many words in Pig Latin have become authentic words in their own right? I can think of amscray, ixnay and ofay. Are there others?

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**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837/2 "2000-10-05T20:10:06Z")

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“Ofay”??

Wouldn’t that be “Fo?”

WTF?

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**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837/3 "2000-10-05T20:32:40Z")

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Pig Latin for “foe”. But the traditional spelling is “ofay”.

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**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837/4 "2000-10-05T21:04:47Z")

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…though Merriam-Webster says “origin unknown”, I know someone, somewhere explained the etymology with Pig Latin.

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**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837/5 "2000-10-06T00:16:02Z")

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“Addendum” according to the Collins English Dictionary, is 18th century, from Latin, literally “a thing to be added”, being the neuter gerundive of “addere” (to add).

Admittedly, it’s a very long time since Latin class, but it sounds convincing, even if all I can compare it to is Q.E.D. being “quod erat demonstrandum”.

BTW “pig Latin” is too damn difficult for me, as it seems to require fast thinking. Am I the only sad eejit like that?

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pig-latin-words/35837/6 "2000-10-06T02:19:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by scratch1300 \*  
> \*\*Pig Latin for “foe”. But the traditional spelling is “ofay”. \*\*

_The American Heritage Dictionary_ has this to say

> [@](#):
>
> The commonly seen etymology of ofay —Pig Latin for foe —is perhaps of less interest than the more likely story of this word’s origins. The word, which is first recorded in the first quarter of the 20th century, must have been in use much longer if it is, as some scholars think, borrowed from an African source… One would trace it to the Ibibio word afia, “ white or light-colored. ” Another would have it come from Yoruba ofe, a word that was said in order to protect oneself from danger.