So…I’ve been studying for the GRE some more and found another interesting article! This article talked about the word huh, and how important this word is in today’s culture and in our everyday conversations. Here’s a snip it from what I learned while studying earlier today:
Modern day conversations typically have many slang words throughout the conversation. These words may include words such as huh, um, uh, ah, oh, and k. While these words have slowly trickled into our dictionaries, most folks have not really given much thought as to the reality of these words and if these words are in fact “real” words. Scientists from around the globe have realized that “huh” is used in more languages than originally believed.
Huh?
This word is now thought to “be a universal word” (Okrent, 2014).In more than ten various languages, some variations of the word “huh” was apparent throughout numerous conversations and almost always used in the same, familiar way as within the English language. It is argued that “huh,” as a word is more than a few mumble syllables, yet still allows a persons’ tongue to stay in a relaxed state. This word may not be learned between languages but yet is mumbled between words or in confusion or break in a conversation, regardless of the conversation.
Source: Okrent, A. (2014, March 1). Language. Smithsonian, 44, 11-12.
Now I guess the next time I hear someone tell me that “huh” is not a word, I will be able to prove them wrong!