Asturian-American Migration Forum

'Digotelo yo!': pronounced Dee-goh-tay-low-YOH! Idiomatic expression in Central Asturian that places stress on whatever has been said previously. In Asturian, it is used to reinforce a person’s comment or opinion in daily conversation.

‘Digotelo yo!’ is used as a conversational filler or lubricant. It is part of an Asturian jive, whenever people get together to share information. Literally, it means ‘That’s what I say!’, as if to legitimize one’s personal experience with a larger audience. You can use it freely to make a point while chatting.

Meet Sila (Silisa), from County Ayer, the wife of the bagpiper from Cuergo. She’s taking a walk with Xose Anton Ambas before a recording session. When Ambas tells her it’s a pity that her flatdrum skills aren’t being passed down, she agrees wholeheartedly and says: 'Digotelo yo!'

Although she says she is unprepared to play the flatdrum, she does quite a good job.

Watch minute 4:12 of this YouTube clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4tVDhaVqSA

Ambas: “Eso ye pena que se pierda...”
“Digotelo yo, digotelo yo que ye pena...”

Thanks, Is!

I'm glad that Ambas is making these recordings. YouTube's compression of the video makes it hard to see what Sila did with her hands, but the sound is very rich. Digotelo yo!

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¡Gracias, Is!

Me alegra que Ambas está haciendo estas grabaciones. La compresión del vídeo que hace YouTube lo hace difícil ver lo que Sila hizo con sus manos, pero el sonido es muy rico. ¡Digotelo yo!

brilliant .. I love this weeks choice ! funny yet very meaningful ,,,

that is the ultimate asturian weapon of mass argumentation ,,, digotelo yo ,,, what else could be said after that ? ,,, not much at all ,,,

The asturian transposition of the old latin adagio ,,, "Magister dixit"


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tremendo ... prestame pola vida la palabra de la selmana d'esta selmana ,,, divertio y al mesmu tiempu lleno de significao ,,,

ye el argumentu maximu de persuasion masiva ... digotelo yo ,,, que se puede dicir depues d'eso ? poca cosa ,,,

la idiosincatrica transposicion asturiana del vieyu adagio latino magister dixit ...

ayalgueru wrote: that is the ultimate asturian weapon of mass argumentation ,,, digotelo yo ,,, what else could be said after that

Now that's a truism if ever I heard one, Ayalgueru. People with an automatic 'Digotelo yo!' like to self-justify and mass argue. They know emphasis is important and self-realizing. It's almost intrinsic to Asturian humor too, that brand of flat frankness turned on itself.

Ever analyzed 'Bueno, anda!'? That's another nugget of gold...

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Eso si que ia verda, Chalgueiru. Xente col 'Digotelo yo!' automaticu ia davezu el tipu persona al que-y gusta autoxustificase ya fader argumentos d'armamentu grandon. Saben perbien que l'enfasis ia importante ya sirve p'autorealizase. Seique ia parte de la retranca asturiana.

Peimeque vamos ter qu'echar gueyada tamien a 'Bueno, anda'. Esa ia outra pedra de pa Navelgas...