yayo

Alternative forms

• yeyo, yay

Etymology

From Spanish llello.

Noun

yayo (uncountable)

1. (US, slang) cocaine
   • 2004, Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz (Jonathan Mortimer Smith), "Grand Finale" (rap song)

     We yayo experts, we been whippin' the yola / Since the crackas decided to take the coke from Coca-Cola.

   • 2009, Christine A. Nandi, The ABC's of Raising a Successful Student (page 7)

     They just spend their time sniffing up the yayo.

Etymology

From yaya. Compare Spanish yayo.

Etymology

Unknown origin, perhaps from whimsical slang by youth. A prevailing theory, given the term's ultimate origin in Aragon and Catalan-speaking territories, is derivation from Catalan jajo (“grandpa”). It seems the first form generated was *jaja (“grandma”), from which the masculine form was derived. This would come from Catalan avia (“grandmother”) (from Vulgar Latin *aviōla, feminine diminutive of avus (“grandfather”)), and from juvenile palatalization would generate something like *ai̯a. The common phenomenon of syllabic repetition in children's language (cf. papa, baba, etc.) would then cause the form jaja above, which would then be spread into Spanish and masculinized.

Otherwise, perhaps masculinized from Greek γιαγιά (giagiá, “grandmother”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɟ͡ʝaɟ͡ʝo/, [ˈɟ͡ʝaʝo]

Noun

yayo m (plural yayos)

1. (chiefly Spain, Catalonia, informal) grandpa, pops