Now I understand most Pakistanis swear words are self explanatory if someone is kind enough to tell you the basics, but why Saala is a swear word or an offensive term or a derogatory tease is beyond me. According to what I’ve been told, Saala basically means Brother in Law, now how come calling someone Brother in Law could potentially equal swearing is a fascinating case. I’ve asked quite few friends of mine from Pakistan but even the one with serious pouty mouth don’t seem have any answer. How embarrassing.
Anyone here know any history, any possible explanation or ideas behind such change of meaning and usage of a simple little harmless word?
I could’ve tried googling this but I thought let’s have a GS spin on life.
Btw folks, keep this thread clean, I don’t want my first ever thread in Cultural Section to get locked. Let’s see if we discuss this subject in a professional, mildly academic and thoughtful manner. Cheers.
You are right... Saala, Susar (Susra) are swear words....
One of my teacher told me that in Indian culture... brides' relatives look down and call them by derogatory words... because they think this is the right way to treat them....
it's considered a swear word because by saying this you are hypothetically establishing relationship with that person's sister...sister is the honour of the family. i think they take far too seriously the applied meaning of the word rather than it's literal meaning.
kisii kii bahen se naa_jaaiz rishta joReNge to saalaa to josh meN aayegaa hii. lolz
You are righ, Saala, Susar (Susra) are swear words....
One of my teacher told me that in Indian culture... brides' relatives look down and call them by derogatory words... because they think this is the right way to treat them....
SUSAR is NOT a derogatory/swear word. SUSRAA is! there is a slight difference in the meaning of the word. it again means that the utterer of this word is hypothetically establishing a relationship with that person's daughter as explained in my above post.
The feminist in me was just about to indulge in sadistic pleasure at finally seeing couple of Asian swear words centralised upon male figure, until KKF quite rightly explained that woman is also indirectly abused through such words. Should've figured this.
This is where I give English language full credit, plenty of exclusively male focused swear words to be solely used agaisnt men. There needs to more equal gender representation in swearing dictionaries as well. Okay now I'm really sounding like a crazy feminist, I should just stop.
By calling Person A saala im telling him that i share a bed with his sister. By calling Person A a susar/susra in telling him i share a bed with his daughter.
These words are both derogatory and non derogatory depending on the tone and inflection of voice.
By calling Person A saala im telling him that i share a bed with his sister. By calling Person A a susar/susra in telling him i share a bed with his daughter.
These words are both derogatory and non derogatory depending on the tone and in inflection of voice.
And there is a very retro Bollywood song 'Sala mai tou Sahab ban gya' - now who is he swearing at? Looks it's a figure of speech as well.
Oh and there is also that stupid Shehzad Roy song 'sali tou maani nahi' which is basically asking a girl's hand in marriage. Quite ridiculous sounding song.
And there is a very retro Bollywood song 'Sala mai tou Sahab ban gya' - now who is he swearing at? Looks it's a figure of speech as well.
Oh and there is also that stupid Shehzad Roy song 'sali tou maani nahi' which is basically asking a girl's hand in marriage. Quite ridiculous sounding song.
Its how you use these swear words. When close friends use them there's no issue, but if its used with a stranger it ha different connotations.
*And there is a very retro Bollywood song 'Sala mai tou Sahab ban gya' - now who is he swearing at? Looks it's a figure of speech as well. *
Oh and there is also that stupid Shehzad Roy song 'sali tou maani nahi' which is basically asking a girl's hand in marriage. Quite ridiculous sounding song.
in the culture of rural India [or Pakistan], the saalaas and bahnois have a special place and they are treated a little better than the rest of the lot. husband treats his wife's brother [saalaa] a little better because 'a man is supposed' to be under his wife's thumb. so, he is too scared of the wife to mistreat his saalaa...the saalaa now holds a special place...he usually takes advantage of his status [as saalaa]...
this is what Dilip Kumar is referring to in the song "saalaa, maiN to saaHab ban gayaa!"...he is, in effect, telling others that he must be treated like a saaHab [a goraa saaHab] because he happens to be a saalaa. :)
And there is a very retro Bollywood song 'Sala mai tou Sahab ban gya' - now who is he swearing at? Looks it's a figure of speech as well.
Oh and there is also that stupid Shehzad Roy song 'sali tou maani nahi' which is basically asking a girl's hand in marriage. Quite ridiculous sounding song.
That saala is derived from the same derogatory word but is used for people, objects and situations. It is a bit like calling someone an idiot/cheeky bugger/wretched person but not as intense.
Eg.
To a person: Saalay tu boht chalaak haiy!
To an object: Yeh saali Candy Crush khatam hee nahi hoti.
To a situation: Apun ka to saala luck hee kharaab haiy!
It is used to the point where the literal meaning is no longer implied and can be used in friendly banter among friends too. Again, inflection matters.
