Fun with Languages I Don't Speak, Part 2

[uzbradistan]

A tidbit I forgot in discussing linguistic souvenirs of our Greco-Turkish trip

Comments

[alpine_tunnel]

I am told by April that Opa! is also used in Moldova, except there it is an expression of surprise and dismay, instead. Perhaps that speaks to the relative outlook on life in each nation?

[uzbradistan]

I wonder if April said "Opa!" when the pumpkin wagon ran over her foot... ;)

[archivecats]

Svetlana Mikhailovna (my landlady) said "Opa!" once when the wolf fell down on the wolf-versus-hare cartoon "Nu, pogodi!" And the group Diskoteka Avariia has a song entitled "Opa!" (complete with video) in which the word seems to be used more in the Greek/Turkish "hurrah!" sense than the Moldovan "oops!" sense.

[alpine_tunnel]

I watched the video- I guess I never thought Japanese tourists went anywhere other than the US.

Anastasia's response to the video was: "Do they have grownups there [Japan], or just kids?"

[uzbradistan]

Great self-aggrandizing video there for the Diskoteka guys. :)

So, do the Russians (or were these Moldovans?) really say "Opa" all the time? Did Russia learn Christianity, writing, AND the word "Opa" from the Greeks?