Yayas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who assist others, often by carrying burdens or providing support in transportation ; persons employed to help by running errands or facilitating movement for others ; workers dedicated to aiding or transporting people, typically through physical effort or service
2. Helpers or attendants who offer physical assistance, commonly in carrying loads or aiding mobility ; workers who support individuals by performing tasks like transporting goods or people ; assistants engaged in facilitating movement or delivering services through direct physical aid
3. People who provide support by carrying items or aiding in travel ; employees assigned to assist with errands or conveyance ; helpers who manage the movement or transport of persons or objects through manual effort

Etymology: "Yayas" is simply the plural of "yaya," a noun used in Tagalog, the main language of the Philippines, for a person who looks after others, most often a nanny or caregiver for children, or an attendant who helps someone get around. Its plural form is what you see here. The noun "yaya" reached Tagalog from Philippine Spanish, where a related form was in use. The Tagalog word is thus a borrowing that was then absorbed into local usage and given a plural ending of its own in English-language reference works, which list "yayas" alongside it. Its deeper origin is uncertain. One suggestion links it to Malay, but the evidence cited for that is thin, since the early written examples mostly turn up as personal names rather than as the common noun. For a reader, the clearest fact is that the word passed from Spanish-influenced Philippine speech into Tagalog.

Synonyms: nannies, maids