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Glite Dictionary
gap yah

gap yah

9.9
A year taken after school before university when a young person travels or volunteers
  • noun
  • /ɡæp jɑː/
  • Slang
translation icon : año sabático
  • Many students take a gap yah to travel and volunteer abroad before starting university.

Examples

  • The English teachers mentioned above, especially high school leavers on their "gap yahs" (Google it, it's a great sketch about the culture).

    Blog text (34)

  • She used her gap yah to work with a charity in Africa, which changed her perspective on life.

  • During his gap yah, he explored various countries and gained valuable life experiences.

Synonyms

yere
vsgap yah
  • Archaic
9.9

A time of twelve months used in old speech

is a slang humorous phrase for taking time off to travel or volunteer

Surface Forms

gap yah singular
gap yahs plural

Morphology

gap + yah

This is a slang, phonetic spelling of 'gap year' (gap + year), so the basic meaning 'a year taken out for travel/volunteering' is compositionally related to 'gap' + 'year'. However the nonstandard form 'yah' and the cultural/regional slang usage make the connection less predictable for an average B1 learner who knows the constituent words, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Gap yah may come from a joking way of saying gap and yah, when 'year' is spoken like 'yah' in a mock upper-class voice. Comedians and students used that voice to make fun of young people who travel between school and university, so gap yah now means a 'gap year' often linked to 'upper-class' travel.