You’re on the streetcar or getting off at TMU Station when all of a sudden, you hear a bunch of teens stringing together a sentence that makes absolutely no sense.
Chances are they’re using slang — not just any slang, they’re probably using words that come from other languages and have found a home on the streets of Toronto.
These words make up our city’s very own language, Multicultural Toronto English (MTE) — a term coined by Derek Denis, an assistant professor of linguistics at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Denis describes these foreign words in Toronto’s vocabulary as a “transcultural diffusion.” (You can hear all about it in this TEDxTalk).
Here’s the breakdown of what the most common slang words mean.
Miskeen
Pronounced “miss-keen,” this word comes from Arabic and translates to poor. Many use it to describe someone as innocent. You might be walking around Toronto and hear someone say, “Man, he’s so miskeen. He doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into.”
Khalas
Pronounced “khuh-loss,” this word is also Arabic and means “enough.” As an Arabic speaker, this word has found a permanent home in my English vocabulary. Most of my non-Arab friends know what it means at this point. You’ll hear me say, “Come on, khalas, I’m ready to leave” at every function once my social battery dies.
Wagwan
Pronounced “wag-wan,” this greeting word comes from Jamaican Patois. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as a way to say “what’s happening.”
Ahlie
Pronounced “a lie,” this word also comes from Jamaican Patois and is used as an affirmation or a request for agreement from others. For example: “This is a good drink, ahlie,” or it could be used to ask for confirmation like, “This is a good drink, ahlie?”
@bxeezy.e Thoughts? 🤔😂
♬ original sound – Breezy
Bucktee
Pronounced “buck-tee,” this word originates from Somali and is used in a derogatory way. It refers to someone who abuses substances or someone who’s suspicious.
Chalo
Pronounced “chah-low,” this word comes from Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. It means “okay” or “let’s go.” It’s used in similar contexts as yallah — the Arabic equivalent.
Kawal
Pronounced “kowal,” this word comes from Somali and means “scammer” or taking advantage of someone.
Fawad
Pronounced as “fuh-wad,” this word means to move forward. It originates from Jamaican Patois and is used to tell people to come somewhere.
Now, I know there’s a ton more, so reach out to me at aia@thegreenline.to to tell me which words to include next time.
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