Merajuk

I learned a new word today: Merajuk. It is a Malay word, apparently expressing a host of meanings which when inadequately translated into English, approximates “sulking”. Used in context, it is merajuk pada yang sayang, used in the context of a loved one. It is apparently an activity relegated to the females of the species, in order to manipulate their partners into some form of cajolement and an appeasing act. I was told to find out what it meant by a certain someone, while she was in the process of expressing this complex emotion. And of course, it lies on me, the non-merajuker, to appease the said merajuker. As I have said often in the past: Rule No. 1 of dating: Always apologise even if you are right.

P.S.  Janadas Devan has an excellent article in the Sunday Straits Times about how certain words in  non-English words have much meaning, expressing the exact meaning of the situation but has no exact equivalent in the English language.  Check it out.

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