The expression "Ekary Babai" in one form or another was heard by all or almost all people. Very many people thought about who this very bogeyman is and where this expression came from. The main part of people will be remembered only by Babayka, whom they frightened as a child when they did not want to sleep, and few will give more accurate information. So who is the ecstasy babai? Attempts to find out the origin of this unusual expression have been made for a very long time.
Ekary Babai. Meaning in modern speech
In the "Great Dictionary of Russian Conversational Speech" it is said that this expression means any emotion: irritation, joy, annoyance, and others. It is used as an interjection and refers to a humorous, colloquially reduced style. This is a euphemism that is most often used by representatives of working specialties, if a situation occurs in which you want to use foul language, the soul asks, so to speak, but for some reason this cannot be done. For example, if you accidentally hit yourself with a hammer on the finger, and children are nearby. That is, only the first sound of a swearing phrase is pronounced, the rest are replaced by an unclear phrase. In addition, euphemisms are often used in printed and spoken texts, again, in order to replace swear words. Using euphemisms, it is possible to reduce the negative burden of the text, although it is almost always clear from the context and / or the very sound of the euphemism which particular obscene expression it replaces.
Why exactly bogeyman?
There is a version that this expression is an altered "anchor babai." So in the old days they called workers whose responsibilities were to install and regulate the buoys on the Volga. When the water level at the anchor, standing on the buoy, changed, it was necessary to adjust the length of the cable. Most often, retired sailors were hired for this position. What’s the matter here? Translated from the Tatar, this word means "grandfather."
Why else can a bogeyman be ecocarnate?
There are several versions to this.
- This expression appeared in ancient times (as, by the way, all the proverbs), therefore its exact origin is unknown.
- Tatar "Yo Khan Babai!" - the expression from which came the Russian "Ekary Babai." Translation of this expression into Russian (approximate) - “End to you, grandfather!” In different regions, this expression can be pronounced differently.
- From Turkic, this expression can be translated approximately as “an old grandfather who loves male asses, ” that is, he is an elderly homosexual.
If you believe the latest version, then the equally often used expressions “Ekary babai and his girlfriend” and “girlfriend of Ekary babai” used in demotivators lose all meaning and are used only to express themselves in a flowery and unusual way.
Unapproved versions of the origin of this expression
There are two more versions of the origin of the expression, which also have a right to exist:
- Among Buryat shamans, the word "yohar" means a ritual dance. As already mentioned, the word "babai" in Tatar and Mongolian means "grandfather." That is, perhaps, this substitute for obscene language means the harmless word "shaman".
- Perhaps the origin of this expression has an even deeper reason. Og is the name of one of the heroes of the Bible, Noah, who escaped during the Flood. Oge is mentioned in the folklore of almost every country and, accordingly, in many geographical names. He is the Yokarniy Babai considered in our article. Examples of such mentions are the Oka River in Siberia, the character of Easter Island myth Yokarny Babai, the father of fish in New Zealand, Ikater, the Prussian deity Eye Pirms, the Greek king Ogig, etc. Let us consider a little more in detail the Greek character. In the folklore of this country there are several legends about the flood. In one of the most popular of them, the man who escaped from the flood is the Boeotian king Ogig.
- Interestingly, Noah, or rather Yokarniy Babai, is even associated with myths about Atlantis. Atlantis was called, on the rights of the daughter of Atlanta, the goddess Calypso, who held the Homeric Odyssey in love captivity. How is she connected with Noah? She lived on an island called Ogigia! "Address of residence" more precisely nowhere!
Does it make sense to look for the exact etymology?
Perhaps it makes no sense to try to find the exact etymology of this expression. It definitely entered the speech a long time ago, but exact evidence of its origin has not been preserved. In conclusion, we call another version of the origin of this expression, which also has a right to exist. It is known that Babai as a character is quite often found in Russian folklore. Perhaps the protagonist of our article was once a character in fairy tales, but simply got lost over time?
